MasSpec Pen Detects Opioids from Skin
A modified MasSpec Pen – a handheld device that collects molecules from the skin, developed by Livia Eberlin – has shown promise as a fast, non-invasive tool for detecting opioid exposure. In a study published in Analytical Chemistry, researchers demonstrated that skin swabs collected by the pen could be screened for fentanyl using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), eliminating the need for blood or urine samples.
The device delivers a small droplet of ethanol–water solution to the skin, allowing it to extract trace molecules in seconds before withdrawing the liquid into a vial for immediate or future analysis. In field tests with eight individuals known to have taken opioids, fentanyl was detected in seven of the MasSpec Pen samples, closely aligning with urine results. Hydromorphone, however, was not detected in skin samples – likely due to lower skin partitioning or timing of exposure.
“Access to this information in real time could allow for earlier intervention for patients at risk for drug overdose or in need of substance use treatment,” said coauthor William Clarke in a press release.
Kidney Lipid Atlas Offers New Insight into Renal Health
A high-resolution molecular map of the human kidney has revealed region-specific lipid signatures tied to renal function, sex, and obesity. The atlas – based on over 100,000 functional tissue units from 29 donors – marks the most comprehensive lipidomic profiling of the kidney to date, published in Science Advances.
Using autofluorescence microscopy, MALDI imaging mass spectrometry, and interpretable machine learning, researchers pinpointed lipids enriched in key nephron structures: sphingomyelins in glomeruli, phosphatidylserines in proximal tubules, and sulfatides in nutrient-reabsorbing segments.
“By spatially linking lipid composition to anatomical and functional regions of the kidney, we were able to effectively generate a molecular bar code for each component of the human nephron,” said senior author Jeff Spraggins, in a press release.
The map also highlights sex- and BMI-linked lipid differences – including obesity-associated markers of glomerular sclerosis. All data have been made publicly available through the NIH’s HuBMAP initiative, offering a reference point for future diagnostics and therapies.
“By comparing diseased tissue to this reference, we can begin to pinpoint lipid perturbations that underlie pathology,” said co-first author Melissa Farrow.
Mass Spectrometry Steps Into the Synthesis Spotlight
Mass spectrometry, long valued for analyzing molecules, is now helping make them. A new review in Nature Reviews Chemistry highlights how preparative mass spectrometry is transforming fragment ions – once fleeting analytical intermediates – into tools for building novel molecular structures.
Researchers led by Julia Laskin (Purdue University) and Jonas Warneke (Leipzig University) showcase a growing body of work on ion soft landing, a technique that generates reactive gas-phase ions and deposits them onto surfaces. There, the ions undergo controlled chemical reactions, forming new bonds and materials inaccessible via traditional wet chemistry.
“This is a transformative step for synthetic chemistry,” said Laskin, in a press release. “Ion soft landing opens a new dimension of control, allowing us to manipulate charged species with atomic precision.”
The review details examples such as boron cluster anions that form carbon–boron bonds and metal clusters that assemble into superatomic dimers. Such capabilities could accelerate advances in catalysis, nanomaterials, and quantum devices.
By integrating advanced instrumentation and surface science, preparative mass spectrometry is now “turning short-lived fragments into powerful reagents,” Warneke added – pointing to a future where molecules are not just identified by mass spectrometry, but built by it.
Perdita Barran Wins 2025 Tilden Prize for Parkinson’s Work
Perdita Barran, Professor of Mass Spectrometry at the University of Manchester, has been awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry’s 2025 Tilden Prize for her pioneering work applying ion mobility mass spectrometry to complex biological systems – most notably, in the early, non-invasive diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Barran’s research has transformed how scientists detect and interpret disease biomarkers. In a now-celebrated collaboration with Joy Milne – a retired nurse with an extraordinary sense of smell who could detect a distinct odor in Parkinson’s patients – Barran’s team discovered that sebum (a lipid-rich substance secreted by the skin) contains molecular signatures unique to individuals with Parkinson’s. Using mass spectrometry, her lab identified volatile compounds in sebum that distinguish patients from healthy controls, laying the groundwork for a skin-swab-based diagnostic test.
“This has the potential to change the diagnostic landscape for Parkinson’s, enabling earlier and more accessible intervention,” Barran has said, emphasizing her motivation to “translate findings from basic research into something that has utility for society.”
Her group, based at the Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry, combines instrumentation innovation with deep biological insight, from studying disordered proteins to decoding multiomics datasets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also advised the UK government on mass spectrometry applications and co-founded an international MS coalition.
Mass) Spectacular and Strange
Aspergillus flavus, the “tomb fungus” historically linked to mysterious deaths in ancient royal tombs, has now yielded a promising new leukemia treatment. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania isolated a novel class of fungal peptides, asperigimycins, which demonstrated potent and selective activity against leukemia cells, rivaling FDA-approved drugs.
Combining genetic and metabolic analysis, the team purified these unique molecules and discovered that adding lipid groups improved their ability to enter leukemia cells and disrupt cell division. “The synthesis of these compounds is complicated,” said Qiuyue Nie, lead author of the study, in a press release, “but that's also what gives them this remarkable bioactivity.”
This work reveals how a once-feared fungus may become a powerful source of new medicines.
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