Best of the Week: What’s New in MS, 2024 Young Chemist Award Winner

This week, LCGC International published a variety of articles on the hottest topics in chromatography and beyond. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the most popular articles, according to our readers. Happy reading!

Top stories symbol. Concept words Top stories on wooden blocks on a beautiful blue table white background. Business story and top stories concept, copy space. | Image Credit: © Dzmitry - stock.adobe.com

What’s New in Mass Spectrometry?
Will Wetzel

Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that has been used in a wide variety of fields, including chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, environmental science, forensic science, and proteomics. It can also perform different complex tasks, such as identifying unknown compounds, determining the elemental composition of molecules, studying the structure and properties of molecules, and quantifying the concentration of specific compounds in a sample. LCGC International has published several technical articles and news items discussing the latest research and advancements in mass spectrometry. In this article, our team has formed a compilation of some recent articles on mass spectrometry, discussing the biopharmaceutical industry, the food and beverage industry, and more.

Read More

University of Wisconsin Graduate Student Wins 2024 Young Chemist Award
Aaron Acevedo

Metrohm USA announced that Katelyn Michael, a graduate student from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, is the 2024 winner of its Young Chemist Award. The $10,000 award is given out annually to a scientist whose research “transforms the landscape of chemistry.” Michael’s study, titled “Tandem Electrochemical Advanced Oxidative Processes to Effectively Degrade Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS),” addresses environmental challenges stemming from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Based on a novel electrochemical approach, Michael builds on existing methods in hopes of greatly enhancing the degradation efficiency of PFOS.

Read More

HPLC–MS/MS For Screening Neuraminidase Inhibitors
Will Wetzel

A recent study from the Journal of Chromatography B shows scientists’ efforts to explore potential antiviral components in Baphicacanthis cusia, an herb that is used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating the common cold and the flu. Led by Zhihong Cheng of Fusan University in Shanghai, China, the study introduces an affinity ultrafiltration (AUF) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for screening neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors from natural products; specifically, they were focusing on the stems and leaves of Baphicacanthus cusia plants.

Read More

Advancements in Tissue Lipidomics Hold Promise for Understanding Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels, that, if left untreated, can lead to serious complications and even death. These diseases include coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, peripheral artery disease, hypertension, arrhythmias, and more. To understand more about CVDs, Dajana Vuckovic and Ana Carolina Alves dos Santos, researchers from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, used liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) workflows to study how CVDs play a role in cellular functions and tissue lipidomics. Additionally, the authors push the importance of strict quality control (QC) practices.

Read More

GC–MS for Measuring the Progression of Kidney Disease
Aaron Acevedo

A recent Analyst study tested the potential of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for detecting breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and measuring the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Breath VOCs are gases emitted into the air from breathing, some of which can be harmful on their own or when mixed with other gases. Examples include disinfectants, tobacco, and gasoline. Breath analysis has recently been believed to be a convenient and non-invasive method for clinically monitoring CKD progression. However, there is a lack of breath VOCs that can indicate CKD progression. Using GC–MS, the scientists hoped to test the technique for the untargeted detection of breath VOCs in patients with stage 1, 3, and 5 CKD.

Read More