This week’s Mass Spec News
TNT detection, one-step assay for genetic testing in spinal muscular atrophy, and recent advances in labeling-based quantitative glycomics
James Strachan | | 4 min read | News
Worth Your Time
Dual drift tube ion mobility spectrometry (DDT-IMS) technology facilitates the rapid detection of both positive and negative ions of four toxic metabolites derived from 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT), allowing for the detection of residual metabolites in the human body. Link
Researchers detect chloronitramide – a toxic compound produced as a decomposition product from inorganic chloramines – in US tap water through a combination of high-resolution mass spectrometry and NMR. Link
Researchers develop and validate a one-step SMN assay for genetic testing in spinal muscular atrophy via MALDI-TOF MS, which could be used for clinical diagnosis as well as newborn screening. Link
Lingjun Li and colleagues review recent advances in labeling-based quantitative glycomics, highlighting trends in single-cell glycomics and bioinformatics tools “that have the potential to revolutionize glycan quantification.” Link
Ben Garcia and colleagues report the development of a simple workflow for the detection and improved quantification of histone ubiquitination marks. Link
The Analytical Scientist Presents:
Enjoying yourself? There's plenty more where that came from! Our weekly Mass Spec Newsletter brings you the most popular stories as they unfold, chosen by our fantastic Editorial team!
Essential Reading
What’s Missing from the Mass Spec Toolbox?
Alexander Makarov: A technique to “see” a single molecule with atomic resolution directly and rapidly.
Robert Kennedy: I'd love to see an ionization method that is as general as ESI but not limited by ionization suppression effects… That would be quite useful. I also think we need better compound identification tools for small molecules. NMR is the gold standard but requires too much material and time for many projects. MS is not there yet in terms of quickly providing unequivocal identifications for many compounds.
Lingjun Li: Hardware wise, it would be wonderful to have better instrumentation that offers highly sensitive ionization source that works for a broad range of biomolecules with less ionization suppression and deeper molecular coverage; software wise, we would benefit from having improved computational tools that can integrate multidimensional data acquired from disparate techniques and complementary modalities to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of biological systems and their functioning in health and disease.
Davy Guillarme: A mass spectrometry-based detector capable of providing high sensitivity for analyzing very large molecules, such as mAbs, mRNA, and AAVs, would be highly valuable. While ESI-MS performs reasonably well for such large molecules, its sensitivity is often insufficient. The development of a new or revolutionary ionization mode and/or mass analyzer specifically designed for very large molecules would be greatly welcomed.
R. Graham Cooks: The same item that has been missing for two decades, a powerful portable commercial mass spectrometer for point-of-care measurements. It must privilege speed over other parameters and must have MS/MS for chemical specificity.
Read what the rest of The 2024 Power List had to say.
Could NEMS Repeat the Success of the Human Genome Project for Proteins?
A few weeks back we reported on the development of a machine-learning-based nanoelectromechanical system, referred to as fingerprint nanoelectromechanical mass spectrometry (NEMS), which enables the accurate measurement of intact proteins.
The main motivation for this work? To repeat the success of the Human Genome Project for proteins – according to co-authors John Sader and Michael Roukes. We recently caught up with them to find out more.
“Our aim is to enable deep profiling of the single-cell and serum proteomes, as well as the exploration of protein-protein interactions. The latter of these is generally inaccessible by bottom-up mass spectrometry, which disassociates proteins into peptide fragments to enable analysis. With NEMS aided by this machine learning method, we can advance the technology for single-molecule native mass spectrometry – that is, mass spectrometry on intact large proteins and protein complexes which preserves these delicate interactions.”
Community Corner
Now, That’s What You Call Impact
Last week, we asked whether you’ll be making the switch over to Bluesky.
The results are in (thanks to everyone who voted); just over half of you said that you’re already there (38 percent) or plan to be (16 percent). Only 11 percent of you said there’s no way you’d join the platform, leaving 37 percent unsure.
Looks like we might need to check Bluesky out… Indeed, wherever #TeamMassSpec resides – we’ll be there. Where else would I find out that Boone Prentice’s wife Tiffany just made an Etsy shop where you can purchase mass spec art? (Check it out.) Or that Graham Cooks has just surpassed 100,000 citations? (A big congratulations from The Analytical Scientist team!)
Over the course of my Biomedical Sciences degree it dawned on me that my goal of becoming a scientist didn’t quite mesh with my lack of affinity for lab work. Thinking on my decision to pursue biology rather than English at age 15 – despite an aptitude for the latter – I realized that science writing was a way to combine what I loved with what I was good at.
From there I set out to gather as much freelancing experience as I could, spending 2 years developing scientific content for International Innovation, before completing an MSc in Science Communication. After gaining invaluable experience in supporting the communications efforts of CERN and IN-PART, I joined Texere – where I am focused on producing consistently engaging, cutting-edge and innovative content for our specialist audiences around the world.
