This Week’s Mass Spec News

Worth Your Time

Researchers quantify and estimate daily exposure to drugs of abuse and pharmaceuticals in indoor dust using supramolecular solvents (SUPRAS) and liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Link 

Using high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (HR-SIMS), researchers image glacier ice algal cells on the Greenland Ice Sheet to determine nutrient concentrations. Link 

New method based on porous graphitic carbon liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (PGC-LC-MS) can quantify 62 blood N-glycan structures in individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Link 

Metabolomic analysis of plasma from glioma and meningioma patients via a combination of  gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS and LC-MS) reveals insights in central nervous system tumor development. Link

A team from Jinan University use ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD/Q-TOF-MS) to evaluate 17 flavonoids and phenolic acids in typhae pollen – for use in medicinal products and treatment. Link

Essential Reading

Drip By Drip, Day By Day

New isotopic evidence from a study at Rutgers University has challenged long-held beliefs that the majority of Earth’s water arrived during the Moon-forming impact. Using negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry (N-TIMS), the team measured molybdenum (Mo) isotopes in meteorites and ancient rocks to track Earth’s building blocks. 

“We have to figure out from where in our solar system Earth's building blocks – the dust and the gas – came and around when that happened,” commented lead author Katherine Bermingham in a recent press release. “That’s the information needed to understand when the stage was set for life to begin.” Read more! 

Roundworm Analysis Reveals Surface Lipid Adaptations

New research has provided the most detailed molecular profile yet of nematode (roundworm) surface chemistry, revealing how lipid compositions change with development and influence predator-prey interactions. Researchers used high-resolution 3D-OrbiSIMS mass spectrometry to characterize the outermost 50 nanometers of Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus, demonstrating that over 80 percent of their surface chemistry consists of lipids, with species-specific differences likely shaped by evolutionary adaptation.

“Discovering that these worms have predominantly oily, or lipid-based, surfaces is a significant step in understanding their biology,” stated lead author Veeren Chauhan in a recent press release. “These lipid surfaces help maintain hydration and provide a barrier against bacteria, which are essential for their survival...” Read more!

Community Corner

This week, Philadelphia played host to the 21st Annual US HUPO Conference, featuring workshops, panels and presentations on the latest advancements and innovations in mass spectrometry and proteomics. 

To those of you who attended, were there any talks or presentations that caught your eye? Any topics you’d like to see us cover in more detail? We’re all ears!