Patent ID: 8041513

Claim:
A method of determining at least one characteristic of a plurality of species, comprising: exposing a plurality of species to an aqueous partitioning system including at least first and second phases; obtaining, using mass spectroscopy, a first spectral data pattern comprising cumulative spectral information from a first sample of one or more species associated with the first phase of the aqueous partitioning system; obtaining, using mass spectroscopy, a second spectral data pattern from one or more of the following: (1) a second sample of one or more species associated with the second phase of the aqueous partitioning system, or (2) a portion of the plurality of species prior to the exposing step; constructing, on a computer, a comparative spectrum using mathematical operations using at least a portion of the first spectral data pattern and at least a portion of the second spectral data pattern, wherein at least some data points from the first spectral data pattern and at least some corresponding data points from the second spectral data pattern are combined together using mathematical operations comprising subtraction, division, and/or multiplication to produce data at least partially defining the comparative spectrum; and determining at least one characteristic of a plurality of species using the comparative spectrum.