Ambient ionization mass spectrometry in space and time: From high throughput analysis to molecular imaging
Ambient ionization mass spectrometry has enabled a broad range of applications for mass spectrometry, thanks to the lack of need for sample preparation and the robustness of the methods. While rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS) originally emerged as method for analyzing tissues in surgical environment, the technique quickly found applications outside of the surgical space. One of the most promising applications of REIMS is the analysis of cultured cells ranging from bacteria through fungi to mammalian cell lines. These applications have already led to the development of new microbiological identification methods and discovery of new cancer subtypes. In this webinar, the utility of the approach in pharmaceutical or food industry as well as synthetic biology will be discussed.
Mass spectrometric imaging has gradually become one of the key approaches in molecular histology. Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) MS is one of the most popular approaches, which has benefitted from significant instrumental developments in course of the last couple of years. Analytical performance of DESI will be discussed in the context of other desorption ionization methods and certain application areas including cancer research, drug analysis and imaging of formalin-fixed paraffin embedded samples will be reviewed. The webinar will also give a brief description of data analysis workflows associated with the individual applications.
Key Learning Objectives
- Ambient ionization mass spectrometry techniques and applications for biomedical research
- Advantages, benefits and opportunities with ambient ionization coupled mass spectrometry imaging/molecular profiling
- Applications of REIMS (rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry) and benefits of DESI (desorption electrospray ionization) in mass spectrometry imaging
- Current state of ambient ionization in biomedical research and future potentials
Who Should Attend
Researchers interested in:
- Mass spectrometry imaging and its applications
- Visualization of markers of disease on tissues
- Measuring spatial distribution of a molecular species on a surface
- Adding molecular information to complement other imaging techniques
- The benefits of DESI and ambient ionization for mass spectrometry imaging
Presenter: Professor Zoltan Takats, Ph.D. (Professor of Analytical Chemistry, Science Co-Director Biological Mass Spectrometry, Imperial College London)
Professor Takats has obtained his PhD from Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. He has worked as a post-doctoral research associate at Purdue University, Indiana, USA. After returning to Hungary, he served as Director of Cell Screen Research Centre and also as Head of Newborn Screening and Metabolic Diagnostic Laboratory at Semmelweis University, Budapest.
Professor Takats was awarded the Starting Grant by the European Research Council in 2008 and he subsequently, became a Junior Research Group Leader at Justus Liebig University, Gießen, Germany. He moved to the United Kingdom in 2012 and currently works as a Professor of Analytical Chemistry at Imperial College London.
Professor Takats has pursued pioneering research in mass spectrometry and he is one of the founders of the field of ‘Ambient Mass Spectrometry’. He is the primary inventor of six mass spectrometric ionization techniques and author of 78 peer reviewed publications. He was the recipient of the prestigious Mattauch-Herzog Award of the German Mass Spectrometry Society and the Hungarian Star Award for Outstanding Innovators. He is the founder of Prosolia Inc, Medimass Ltd and Massprom Ltd, all companies pursuing analytical and medical device development.
Presenter: Carrie Haslam (Associate Editor, SelectScience)
Carrie Haslam is an Associate Editor at SelectScience, playing a key role in content production and specializing in Alzheimer’s disease and clinical diagnostics. She is finalizing her Ph.D. from Plymouth University, where she developed graphene-based biosensors for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
