Spectrometry Utility in Biomedical Applications

Biomedical study of focused, personalized therapy has expanded in recent years as research continues to mount on the benefits of molecular-based approaches to treating disease. Molecular spectroscopy has been increasingly utilized in this research, with the hope that this advancing technology will aid in disease diagnostics as well as in the development of novel therapies.

Pittcon 2018

At Pittcon 2018 in Orlando, Florida, February 26-March 1, 2018, speakers and exhibitors specialized in the use of spectroscopy in biomedical research and clinical application will gather to provide attendees with the latest information on biomedical analytical spectroscopy techniques.

Keynote speakers include Dr Stefan Hell and Prof. Jeremy Nicholson, presenting the Plenary Lecture and Wallace H. Coulter lecture respectively.Speakers will discuss the use of this technology for cancer analytics, tissue study and engineering, and disease identification strategies.

Pittcon 2018 will also see a talk from awardee Professor Xiaowei Zhuang of Harvard, of the Pittsburgh Analytical Chemstry Award Symposium.

As such, there is a need for analytical sampling strategies that can provide rapid performance. At Pittcon, researchers will cover their latest investigations on how they’ve been able to overcome these analytical roadblocks with the latest spectroscopy innovations.Some of the previous challenges with spectroscopy technology include isomeric indistinguishability and inadequate throughput of measurements. Tissue analyses can also be considerably time-consuming, particularly during multi-target sample monitoring.

Molecular Spectrometry: Techniques and Systems

Molecular spectroscopy, and the many applications that fall under this term, has experienced a stepwise increase with the advancement in scientific technology. This has been partially fueled by the demand for compact, portable, and low-cost spectrometry systems that have allowed for more rapid and greater depth in molecular research.

The utilization of broad quantitative imaging mass spectrometry holds immense utility for the identification and quantification of proteins that vary among patients in clinical trials. At Pittcon, attendees will gain insight into how this strategy will reduce bias and facilitate a more thorough analysis and characterization of the entire proteome in scientific studies.

Credit: Forance/ Shutterstock.com

Raman Spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy, for instance, has seen vast improvements in its ability to provide both chemical and structural data of a substance in greater detail. Investigators can detect and quantify unknown compounds from Raman spectra fingerprints. X Sunney Xie and Paul Champion, will be describing their work on using Raman to study biomolecular systems in detail.

Renishaw and B&W Tek, which produce the RA802 Pharmaceutical Analyser and portable NanoRam® and i-Raman® systems, respectively, will also be at the conference to showcase their Raman platforms.

Imaging Mass Spectrometry

In addition to Raman spectrometry, imaging mass spectrometry also provides in-depth observation and detection of specific molecular processes within tissues. Investigator Richard Caprioli will be in attendance at Pittcon 2018 and will be discussing the use of imaging mass spectrometry for the analysis of molecular processes within the tissues’ spatial domains for biomedical study.

Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization

Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) will also be a hot topic at Pittcon 2018, with researchers providing talks on the use of this platform for the monitoring and assessment of tissue proteins, lipids, peptides, and metabolites. Bruker’s MALDI Biotyper is one of the MALDI imaging systems that will be discussed at the event, with Bruker providing demonstrations of its platforms.

Ion Mobility Spectrometry

Additionally, ion mobility spectrometry, another analytical technique to evaluate ionized molecules in the gas phase, will be given a complete run-down at Pittcon. In ion mobility spectrometry, investigators can enhance their mass spectrometry workflows and improve research efficiency.

Erin Baker, an investigator and speaker at Pittcon 2018, will provide her talk on using an automated solid phase extraction method prior to ion mobility spectrometry for the assessment of biofluids in the clinical space. Bruker’s RAID instruments as well as SYNAPT and Vion instruments from Waters will also be discussed in its relation to ion-specific spectrometry.

Transmission Electron Microscopy

Another imaging technique discussed at the event will be liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a strategy for imaging apparently invisible compounds through liquids. Additional platforms, such as the Thermo Scientific™ Nicolet™ or Thermo Scientific™ DXR™ systems, provide direct nanoparticle research and may aid in detecting unknown materials through a single point measurement.

These systems may aid in the diagnosing and personalized treatment of disease. Nathan Gianneschi of Northeastern University will be presenting associated research demonstrating the use of such multimodal imaging platforms for the study of targeted therapies.

Diffuse Resonance Raman Spectroscopy

Another pertinent topic to the biomedical field that will be introduced at Pittcon 2018 is diffuse resonance Raman spectroscopy (DRRS), a strategy many researchers are increasingly using to rapidly obtain depth-sensitive Raman spectra using minimally invasive techniques.

This strategy can provide swift acquisition of in vivo and in situ data on carotenoids, heme proteins, and multiplexed nanoparticles. The DXR2 and DXR2xi Raman imaging microscopes by ThermoFisher will be presented, as will Renishaw’s RA802 Pharmaceutical Analyser and Horiba’s XploRA ONE™ and LabRAM.

The field of spectroscopy continues to expand, particularly in biomedical research and clinical practice. Many biomedical spectroscopy techniques and platforms can help researchers understand molecular components of disease and gain insight into potential diagnostic and treatment strategies for certain patients.Attend Pittcon 2018

During Pittcon 2018, Bruker, Gerstel, Horiba, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Lumex, and Waters, among others, will be presenting their latest bioanalytical technologies. To learn more about these technologies, the event, or the speakers at Pittcon 2018, visit Pittcon.org.

References:

• Gartner ZJ, Bertozzi CR. Programmed assembly of 3-dimensional microtissues with defined cellular connectivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009;106(12):4606-4610.
• Tipping WJ, Lee M, Serrels A, Brunton VG, Hulme AN. Stimulated Raman scattering microscopy: an emerging tool for drug discovery. Chem Soc Rev. 2016;45(8):2075-2089.
• Caprioli RM. Imaging mass spectrometry: molecular microscopy for enabling a new age of discovery. Proteomics. 2014;14(7-8):807-809.
• Baker ES, Clowers BH, Li F, et al. Ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry performance using electrodynamic ion funnels and elevated drift gas pressures. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2007;18(7):1176-1187.
• Thormann W, Aebi Y, Lanz M, Caslavska J. Capillary electrophoresis in clinical toxicology. Forensic Sci Int. 1998;92(2-3):157-183.
• Renishaw. Resonance Raman spectroscopy for redox biology research. http://www.renishaw.com/en/webinar-resonance-raman-spectroscopy-for-redox-biology-research--36628.
• Ozeki Y, Umemura W, Otsuka Y, et al. High-speed molecular spectral imaging of tissue with stimulated Raman scattering. Nature Photonics. 2012;6:845-851.
• Horiba Scientific. What is resonance Raman spectroscopy? https://www.horiba.com/usa/.
• MALDI Biotyper. Bruker. https://www.bruker.com/products/mass-spectrometry-and-separations/maldi-biotyper-systems.html.
• MALDI Biotyper. Bruker. https://www.bruker.com/products/mass-spectrometry-and-separations/maldi-biotyper-systems.html.
• Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry. Waters. http://www.waters.com/waters/en_US/Ion-Mobility-Mass-Spectrometry/nav.htm?cid=134656158&locale=en_US

About Pittcon

Pittcon^® is a registered trademark of The Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, a Pennsylvania non-profit organization. Co-sponsored by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, Pittcon is the premier annual conference and exposition on laboratory science.

Proceeds from Pittcon fund science education and outreach at all levels, kindergarten through adult. Pittcon donates more than a million dollars a year to provide financial and administrative support for various science outreach activities including science equipment grants, research grants, scholarships and internships for students, awards to teachers and professors, and grants to public science centers, libraries and museums.

Visit pittcon.org for more information.

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