Research - Biophysical and Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry
New concepts in mass spectrometry measurements and instrumentation
Challenges for the structural interpretation of ion mobility spectrometry data
Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is a technique that separates ions based on how quickly they move through a gas under the influence of an electric field, with their speed affected by their size, shape, and charge. We want to understand how electrospray ionization affects ion charge and shape, determine how ions unfold with added energy, develop better models to predict ion structures, and create guidelines for interpreting measurements to understand how molecules were folded in their original solutions.
Exotic fragmentation techniques (with electrons or lasers)
To better analyze complex molecules, we are expanding our mass spectrometry techniques with diverse fragmentation methods and advanced equipment, enabling comprehensive ion structure examination with multiple collision-based techniques, electron activation and laser-induced methods.
Novel ion spectroscopy approaches to measure chirality
Chirality, where a molecule can't be superimposed on its mirror image, is crucial in Life Sciences. We previously showed a novel method for detecting chirality in large molecules with lasers and mass spectrometry, and now aim to expand these approaches to include proteins, various ions, and neutral molecules, enhancing our ability to determine chiral forms in diverse samples.
Mass spectrometry of oligonucleotides and nucleic acids
Natural modifications of RNA
We aim to develop novel fragmentation methods to map and analyze chemical modifications on intact DNA and RNA, which play crucial roles in gene regulation and are linked to diseases like cancer and neurological disorders.
Higher-order structure of synthetic oligonucleotides
We want to combine fragmentation methods with ion mobility mass spectrometry measurements to obtain full information on oligonucleotide sequence, modifications, folding and assembly.
Mass Spectrometry for Biophysics
Mass spectrometry is a powerful biophysical method in drug development for analyzing target structures and ligand binding. Over 20 years, our group has extensively reviewed its applications in studying non-covalent nucleic acid structures and complexes, and we aim to advance these methods to gain even more detailed insights into nucleic acid interactions. Future work will be devoted to: