What’s New in Mass Spec?

Superfast muscles. Using a combination of MSI and LC-MS, researchers have recently discovered a type of “superfast” muscle fibers, which are known for their ultra-high speed and endurance, and are usually found in human eyes or hummingbird wings – but have never been documented in a mammalian limb before. According to the authors, although clinical applications are a long way off, these findings are particularly exciting for regenerative medicine in neuromuscular diseases.

Pinpointing Candida auris. You may have heard about Candida auris in the news recently – with outbreaks occurring in hospitals and care homes across the world. Unfortunately, identification of newly emerging lineages of this fungus remains a diagnostic challenge, and often results in the improper identification of yeast pathogens. And that’s why researchers have recently developed a method using HRMS to rapidly and accurately identify C. auris. They examined 102 strains from all five clades and were able to correctly identify all C. auris strains with an identification accuracy of 99.6 percent. This method also provided a faster turnaround time compared with current technology – making it an attractive alternative to conventional methods.

There must be something in the water. Researchers have recently completed the first large-scale wastewater-based epidemiology study in the UK. Using multiple mass spectrometry-based methods, they analyzed wastewater from 10 cities for both chemical and biological markers of health – including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and disease-causing viruses. Among other things, results indicated localized outbreaks of norovirus, COVID-19, and influenza – along with spikes in usage of over-the-counter painkillers. According to the authors, routine monitoring of wastewater could provide early warning for the next epidemic.

Mosquito shutdown. Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, US, have mapped the sperm proteome of Culex pipiens – or the common house mosquito – to identify elements essential for mosquito reproduction. Mature sperm from Culex pipiens were isolated and analyzed by mass spectrometry – revealing the mechanisms that activate and maintain sperm motility, and identifying specific proteins that maintain sperm quality and activate them to swim. This study has important implications for population control of Culex pipiens and may help slow transmission of brain-swelling encephalitis and West Nile Virus – the team also hopes that these findings will apply to other species of mosquitoes, particularly those that carry malaria.

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