SynONIM: A Comprehensive Database of Synthetic Oligonucleotide Modifications and Impurities to Aid in Their Characterization by Mass Spectrometry

Given the resurgence of oligonucleotides in the biotherapeutic space, there is a profound focus on their characterization by mass spectrometry. These therapeutic moieties commonly employ synthetic modifications to aid in increasing efficacy and stability; however, these modifications can also increase the complexity of mass spectrometry data analysis. Additionally, various stress conditions can affect both the observed level and type of impurities stemming from the variety of utilized modifications. Within the oligonucleotide analytical development community, a clear desire exists for a unified database of synthetic oligonucleotide modifications and impurities where information regarding structure, mass, and shorthand nomenclature can be contained. To address this, the authors have prepared an online database and webtool of synthetic oligonucleotide impurities and modifications, SynONIM, to centrally locate information key to the mass spectrometry community. SynONIM can be queried by elemental composition lost or gained, mass shift, shorthand notation, nucleotide location, and species origin.