Welcome to the
Biological Mass Spectrometry Laboratory.

Biological Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry has become a prominent tool in biological research because of its high sensitivity, accuracy and efficiency. Our cross-disciplinary group is actively engaged in the fundamentals, instrumentation, applied aspects, and data analytics of biological mass spectrometry.

In applications, we are identifying and quantifying proteins in complex biological samples. We aim to discover and quantify proteomes and metabolites in model systems. In addition, our group is working on the development of instrumentation and methodologies that will further the analytical capabilities that power these studies.

To study the fundamental pathways and energetics of peptide radical ion formation and dissociation we combine the power of computational models and experimentation. Through our investigation into the mechanism of generation and dissociation of peptide radical species, we seek to better our understandings of the fundamental chemistries involved in biological mass spectrometry.

Recent Publications (from 2024)

1. Spectronaut and DIA-NN: A Comparison of their Performance in the Analysis of Lung Adenocarcinoma Biopsies. ACS Omega., 2026, 11, 5, 8080-8093
2. Understanding the Binding and Structures in Model Complexes of Polypeptides and Cofactors, ACS Phys. Chem Au., 2025, 5, 5, 508-518
3. Cerebrospinal Fluid p-Tau181/Amyloid Beta 42 Ratio Identifies Lymphatic-Venous Anastomosis Patients Who Respond to and Benefit from the Surgery for Relief of Cognitive Impairment with a Diagnostic Accuracy of 0.744. ACS Omega., 2025, 10, 29, 32029-32037
4. Structure and fragmentation chemistry of the peptide radical cations of glycylphenylalanylglycine. PLoS ONE., 2024 19(8), e0308164.

Selected Publications

Biomedical

1. Characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying the chronic phase of stroke in a cynomolgus monkey model of induced cerebral ischemia, Journal of proteome research., 2017, 16 (3), 1150-1166
2. A tricyclic pyrrolobenzodiazepine produced by Klebsiella oxytoca is associated with cytotoxicity in antibiotic-associated hemorrhagic colitis, Journal of Biological Chemistry., 2017, 292, 47, 2017, Pages 19503-19520.
3. Discovery, Synthesis, and Functional Characterization of a Novel Neuroprotective Natural Product from the Fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla for use in Parkinson's Disease Through LC/MS-Based Multivariate Data Analysis-Guided Fractionation J. Proteome Res., 2016, 15, 8, 2595-2606
4. Examining the neuroprotective effects of protocatechuic acid and chrysin on in vitro and in vivo models of Parkinson disease, Free Radical Biology and Medicine., 2015, 84, 331-343
5. Functional characterization of key structural genes in rice flavonoid biosynthesis. Planta., 2008, 228, 1043-1054

Bioanalytical for omics applications

1. rPTMDetermine: A Fully Automated Methodology for Endogenous Tyrosine Nitration Validation, Site-Localization, and Beyond Anal. Chem., 2020, 92(15), 10768-10776.
2. Fully Automated Multidimensional Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Anion/Cation Exchange Columns for Simultaneous Global Endogenous Tyrosine Nitration Detection, Integral Membrane Protein Characterization, and Quantitative Proteomics Mapping in Cerebral Infarcts, Anal. Chem., 2015, 87, 19, 10015-10024
3. Online Two-Dimensional Porous Graphitic Carbon/Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography Platform Applied to Shotgun Proteomics and Glycoproteomics, Anal. Chem., 2014, 86, 24, 12172-12179
4. Unique scanning capabilities of a new hybrid linear ion trap mass spectrometer (Q TRAP) used for high sensitivity proteomics applications, Proteomics., 2003, 3 (6), 859-869

Fundamental & Biophysical

1. Evidence for the Prerequisite Formation of Phenoxyl Radicals in Radical-Mediated Peptide Tyrosine Nitration In Vacuo. Chem. Eur. J., 2019, 26, 331.
2. Proposed nomenclature for peptide ion fragmentation, International Journal of Mass Spectrometry., 2015, 390, 24-27
3. Are the radical centers in peptide radical cations mobile? The generation, tautomerism, and dissociation of isomeric alpha-carbon-centered triglycine radical cations in the gas phase. J Am Chem Soc., 2008, 130, 7862.
4. Is Dissociation of Peptide Radical Cations an Ergodic Process? J Am Chem Soc., 2007, 129, 9598.

All publications.