Researchers: Champagne's aroma comes from bubbles Sep 30, 2009
Liger-Belair and his colleagues used high-resolution mass spectrometry to study the chemicals in Champagne and sparkling wines and in the bubbles and the mist they produce. While the aromas rising from sparking wines are well known, the study is the most detailed look at how they are get there, the researchers said. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Champagne Bubbles Liberate Flavor Compounds Sep 30, 2009
Using mass spectrometry, the researchers parsed the chemical makeup of the wine itself and that of the tiny droplets in the headspace, or the area above the liquid's surface. Those droplets, or aerosols, are sprayed upward in a fountain of tiny jets as bubbles of dissolved carbon dioxide rise to the surface of the champagne and then burst. (Scientific American)
Greenhouse Rock: Stone-Cold Data from Ancient Glacial Deposits May Help Reveal Future Climate Change Sep 25, 2009
To get an answer from the rock, the nuclide is isolated from a chiseled sample about the top centimeter on its surface and then analyzed via mass spectrometry. With chemists' ability to isolate pure beryllium 10 and spectrometric sophistication growing over the last decade, Schaefer says, "tiny, tiny amounts of these nuclides can now be measured with very high precision.". (Scientific American)
Moon's interior 'did hold water' Sep 24, 2009
The team, from Brown University, the Carnegie Institution for Science, and Case Western Reserve University, used secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) technology to detect extremely minute quantities of water in glasses and minerals. "We developed a way to detect as little as five parts per million of water," said Erik Hauri, from the Carnegie Institution in Washington DC.. (BBC News -- South Asia)
How Proteins Talk To Each Other Sep 24, 2009
The researchers found cleavage sites using N-terminal proteomics (N-terminomics), in which cleaved substrates are tagged at an exposed edge (N-terminal) and analyzed though mass spectrometry. The data from these assays were then matched against lists of substrates in the Protein Data Bank. (Science Daily)
Drug discovery process more accurate, less expensive using novel mass spectrometry application Sep 18, 2009
CINCINNATICancer and cell biology experts at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have developed a new mass spectrometry-based tool they say provides more precise, cost-effective data collection for drug discovery efforts. Preliminary studies have shown that the new mass spectrometry toolknown as MALDI-QqQMS (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-triple quadruple mass spectrometer)provides a superior means of measuring the enzyme reactions critical to drug discovery at speeds comparable to... (EurekAlert!)
Bitemark Evidence And Analysis Should Be Approached With Caution, According To Study Sep 18, 2009
17, 2009) Against the backdrop of last week's Congressional hearing into the future of forensic science, researchers from the University at Buffalo's Laboratory for Forensic Odontology Research in the School of Dental Medicine, have published a landmark paper on the controversial topic of bitemark analysis. The Congressional hearing focused on the findings of a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report on the scientific basis of forensic disciplines. (Science Daily)
Parkinson’s Disease: Iron Accumulation To The Point Of Demise Sep 7, 2009
For the first time, they were now able to supply evidence of ferritin in the neuromelanin granules using a combination of diverse techniques (one-dimensional SDS gel electrophoresis, targeted mass spectrometry, western blot analysis, as well as immune transmission electron microscopy). To date, this important iron depot protein had only been proven in glia but not in neurons. (Science Daily)
Analyst Picks and Pans: Apple, Danaher, Franklin Resources Sep 4, 2009
1 billion, including debt, for two businesses, Applied Biosystems/MDS Sciex, a mass spectrometry business, plus a bioresearch and analytical instrumentation company owned by MDS Inc.. Mass spectrometry is a technique widely used in medical research for determining what elements make up a molecule. (BusinessWeek)
SYNAPT G2's Power, Versatility and Speed Headlines Comprehensive Portfolio of Mass Spectrometers at IMSC Aug 27, 2009
Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Waters Corporation (NYSE: ) today exhibited for the first time in Europe the Waters((R)) SYNAPT(TM) G2 a system offering scientists greater power, versatility and speed at the 18(th) International Mass Spectrometry Conference (IMSC). Rounding out its display of mass spectrometry (MS) and UltraPerformance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC((R)))/MS systems at IMSC will be Waters Xevo(TM) family of tandem quadrupole and time-of-flight mass spectrometers noted for their... (PR Newswire)
New Biomarker Method Could Increase The Number Of Diagnostic Tests For Cancer Aug 25, 2009
From UCSF, the co-authors include Susan J. Fisher, PhD, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences and Faculty Director of the Sandler-Moore Mass Spectrometry (SMMS) Core Facility; Simon Allen, PhD, an Assistant Researcher in Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences; Steven C. Hall, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences and Director of Operations of the SMMS Core Facility; Eric B. Johansen, PhD,... (Science Daily)
Indoor Air Alert: Ozone Reacts with Human Skin to Produce Potential Irritants Aug 25, 2009
In the new study, Weschler and Wisthaler first used proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry a tool for detecting volatile organic compounds in air at levels of as little as a few parts per trillion to determine what appeared after the squalene and ozone interacted. The interaction immediately produced acetone, geranyl acetone, hydroxy acetone and a compound known as 6-MHO none of which are considered cause for health concern. (Scientific American)
Microchip Does 1,000 Chemical Reactions At Once Aug 24, 2009
The chemical reactions were performed using in situ click chemistry, a technique often used to identify potential drug molecules that bind tightly to protein enzymes to either activate or inhibit an effect in a cell, and were analyzed using mass spectrometry ... Kym F. Faull, director of the Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Lab at UCLA, helped the team with several challenges, including reducing the amount of chemicals needed for reactions on the chip, enhancing test sensitivity and speeding up... (Science Daily)
New Pheromone Helps Female Flies Tell Suitors To 'Buzz Off' Aug 23, 2009
Researchers discovered this unexpectedly while using a new form of high-resolution laser mass spectrometry to scan distinct regions on the fruit flies' cuticle, or surface ... Mass spectrometry revealed that this newly discovered compound was passed on to females during copulation, and remained on the surface of their bodies for at least 10 days after successful mating. (Science Daily)
The innate immune and systemic response in honey bees to a bacterial pathogen, Paenibacillus larvae Aug 21, 2009
To explore the response to infection more broadly, we employ mass spectrometry-based proteomics in a quantitative analysis of honey bee larvae infected with the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae ... Furthermore, mass spectrometry evidence suggests that healthy larvae have significant levels of catalytically inactive proPO in the hemolymph that is proteolytically activated upon infection. (BioMed Central)
Businessman: US must heed electronic terror threat Aug 15, 2009
This technological diversity demands deep expertise across many disciplines including advanced materials, molecular biology, bioengineering, photonics, mass spectrometry and nanotechnology. Wayne is uniquely qualified to provide innovation and strong leadership to our scientists and engineers engaged in research opment in these fields. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Pressure BioSciences, Inc. to Discuss Second Quarter 2009 Financial Results and Provide Business Update Aug 7, 2009
PBI currently focuses its efforts in the development and sale of PCT-enhanced enzymatic digestion products designed specifically for the mass spectrometry marketplace, as well as sample preparation products for biomarker discovery, soil and plant biology, forensics, histology, and counter-bioterror applications. Contact. (Primezone Releases)
What makes stem cells tick? Aug 7, 2009
The team performed large-scale, phosphoproteomic analyses of hESCs and their differentiated derivatives using multi-dimensional liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The researchers then used the phosphoproteomic data as a predictive tool to target a sample of the signaling pathways that were revealed by the phosphorylated proteins in hESCs, with follow-up experiments to confirm the relevance of these phosphoproteins and pathways to the cells. (EurekAlert!)
Trees Affect Air Quality In Surprising Ways Aug 7, 2009
The research team was able to make this scientific leap forward thanks to their development of a new type of chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS), led by coauthor and Caltech graduate student John Crounse. "These new CIMS methods open up a very wide range of possibilities for the study of new sets of compounds that scientists have been largely unable to measure previously, mainly because they decompose when analyzed with traditional techniques.". (Science Daily)
Lab-on-a-chip said to perform 1,024 simultaneous tests Aug 5, 2009
The results were analyzed off-chip using mass spectrometry. In the future, results also will be analyzed on-chip. (EETimes)
Diagnostic tools and innovative therapies improve patient prognosis Aug 3, 2009
Gas-chromatography mass spectrometry was used to examine the chemical nature of the cancerous VOCs and an electrical nose device detected the difference between cancerous cells and the samples. In the study, 350 to 400 different VOCs were identified in either tumor cells or controls. (EurekAlert!)
Food Additive May One Day Help Control Blood Lipids And Reduce Disease Risk Aug 2, 2009
D., professor of medicine and of pathology, and the rest of the team used mass spectrometry and gene expression studies to isolate the phosphatidylcholine, or lecithin compound, that activated PPAR-alpha in the liver. One reason fatty acid synthase had never been connected to PPAR-alpha function was the distance of the two proteins from each other, according to Semenkovich. (Science Daily)
Newborn screening test saves lives, money Aug 1, 2009
Of these, 23 (21 per cent), were diagnosed using the newer tandem mass spectrometry technology. Only 1 per cent of NSW parents chose not to have their baby screened. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
First Nanoscale Mass Spectrometer Created Jul 24, 2009
The mass of molecules is traditionally measured using mass spectrometry, in which samples consisting of tens of thousands of molecules are ionized, to produce charged versions of the molecules, or ions ... Towards single-molecule nanomechanical mass spectrometry. (Science Daily)
Caltech physicists create first nanoscale mass spectrometer Jul 23, 2009
The mass of molecules is traditionally measured using mass spectrometry, in which samples consisting of tens of thousands of molecules are ionized, to produce charged versions of the molecules, or ions ... The paper, "Towards single-molecule nanomechanical mass spectrometry," appears in the July 4 issue of Nature Nanotechnology. (EurekAlert!)
Electronic Nose Created To Detect Skin Vapors Jul 22, 2009
"The spectrum of the vapours emitted by human skin is dominated by fatty acids. These substances are not very volatile, but we have developed an 'electronic nose' able to detect them", Juan Fern;ndez de la Mora, of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Yale University (United States) and co-author of a study recently published in the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, says. The system, created at the Boecillo Technology Park in Valladolid, works by ionising the vapours... (Science Daily)
Trace metals and over-expression of metallothioneins in bladder tumoral lesions: a case-control study Jul 19, 2009
And the quantification of metals in tissue and hair was assessed by inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry. Results. (BioMed Central)
Jaxon Minerals Inc.: Exploration Results from Nox Fort Jul 18, 2009
Actlabs used high resolution capillary column gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to produce SGH data which they interpreted to be indicative of signatures of gold mineralization from multiple targets in the grid area. Six SGH gold target anomalies were reported as possible vertical drill targets. (CCNMatthews Press Releases)
Baby bathwater contains fragrance allergens Jul 18, 2009
The researchers have also employed gas chromatography to separate compounds and mass spectrometry to identify and measure the abundance of each of the fragrances ... "Solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of fragrance allergens in baby bathwater". (EurekAlert!)
New Drugs Faster From Natural Compounds Jul 14, 2009
"If I collect 1,000 ocean compounds, why waste time with compounds that are already known or patented?" added Nuno Bandeira, co-lead author on the paper, director of UC San Diego's Center for Computational Mass Spectrometry (CCMS) and a researcher at the UC San Diego division of Calit2, the California Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technology ... "Natural products have a long history in therapeutic development and many were discovered before the digital recording of mass... (Science Daily)
Researchers Find A Quicker, Cheaper Way To Sort Isotopes Jul 14, 2009
The instrument's isotope ratio measurements are currently accurate within one to three parts per thousand, which is sufficient enough for the team to make a case for an alternative to isotope ratio mass spectrometry ... "My goal is to become better than and actually replace isotope ratio mass spectrometry," Zare said. (Science Daily)
New Discovery To Aid In Diagnosis And Treatment Of Kidney Disease Jul 10, 2009
Subsequent analysis with the use of mass spectrometry and confirmation with the use of protein-specific reagents allowed for identification and characterization of the predominant protein detected by these circulating antibodies. According to the researchers this discovery has important implications for both the diagnosis and treatment of membranous nephropathy. (Science Daily)
New Mass Spectrometric Method Allows Fast And Comprehensive Analyses Of Metabolites Jul 7, 2009
The new technique, called MAILD, is based on classical mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) and enables researchers to measure a large number of metabolites in biological samples, opening doors for targeted and high-throughput metabolomics ... Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique used to elucidate the molecular composition and structure of chemical compounds ... In the last two decades mass spectrometry found vast applications in biology, especially for analyzing of large biomolecules. (Science Daily)
NIST issues human milk and blood serum SRMs for contaminant measurements Jul 2, 2009
The values stated on the certificates for these SRMs were measured by NIST and the CDC using a number of different methods including gas and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection. . (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Phospholipase A2 Receptor in Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy Jul 2, 2009
We used mass spectrometry to analyze the reactive protein bands and confirmed the identity and location of the target antigen with a monospecific antibody ... Mass spectrometry of the reactive protein band detected the M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R). (New England Journal of Medicine)
Researchers pinpoint a new enemy for tumor-suppressor p53 Jun 27, 2009
"We could then identify proteins that were attached to p53, interacting with it, through mass spectrometry," Barton said. They found Trim24, a protein previously unassociated with p53 that is highly expressed in tumors and is a target of two known oncogenes in distinct forms of leukemia and thyroid cancer. (EurekAlert!)
Protein in Urine Could Diagnose Appendicitis Jun 25, 2009
For their study, the team used a research tool called mass spectrometry to search concentrations of various proteins that could be detected in the urine of children in the emergency department being evaluated for suspected appendicitis. They found that the protein LRG was strongly elevated in children with diseased appendices -- even those that looked normal on ultrasound or computed tomography scans. (Newsmax)
Chemicals in Marijuana Smoke May Harm DNA Jun 23, 2009
The research was based on tests using a new highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to analyze the cannabis smoke. It looked specifically at acetaldehyde -- a suspected cancer-causing chemical known to affect human DNA that is found in both kinds of smoke. (MEDLINEplus)
Appendicitis urine test hope Jun 23, 2009
The Boston team used a technique called mass spectrometry to analyse 12 urine samples from children ... The researchers accept that mass spectrometry is not widely available in hospitals, but they believe it might be possible to develop a rapid urine dipstick test for the protein. (BBC News -- Health)
A urine test for appendicitis? Jun 23, 2009
Researchers led by Richard Bachur, MD, acting chief of emergency medicine at Children's Hospital Boston, Hanno Steen, PhD, director of the Proteomics Center, and clinical fellow Alex Kentsis, MD, PhD, decided to take a systematic approach, performing a proteomics study using state-of-the are mass spectrometry (a technique that detects and quantifies proteins in a sample) ... Although mass spectrometry isn't widely available clinically, urine LRG elevations were detected by immunoblotting,... (EurekAlert!)
Marijuana Damages DNA And May Cause Cancer, New Test Reveals Jun 16, 2009
The scientists describe development and use of a modified mass spectrometry method that showed clear indications that marijuana smoke damages DNA.. "In conclusion, these results provide evidence for the DNA damaging potential of cannabis [marijuana] smoke, implying that the consumption of cannabis cigarettes may be detrimental to human health with the possibility to initiate cancer development," the article states. (Science Daily)
Sulfur In Just One Hair Could Blow A Terrorist’s Alibi May 29, 2009
"The new method is based on combining a laser ablation system and multicollector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (abbreviated to LA-MC-ICP-MS)," says Rebeca Santamar;a-Fern;ndez of LGC, lead author of the study. To summarise, the laser makes contact with the selected fraction of the hair, generating an aerosol, which later ionises within plasma, with the spectrometer providing the exact proportions of the sulfur isotopes. (Science Daily)
CU-Boulder gets $1.2M cell-research grant May 29, 2009
The CU team will use some of the grant money to purchase a state-of-the-art, high-resolution mass spectrometry system to be used in the cell research. Keck was founder of the Superior Oil Co. His foundation focuses its grantmaking on medical research, science and engineering. (Denver Business Journal, CO)
Proteomics: Finding The Key Ingredients Of Disease May 27, 2009
Bell et al. A HUPO test sample study reveals common problems in mass spectrometry based proteomics. Nature Methods, 2009; DOI. (Science Daily)
Medical College receives large donations May 27, 2009
A mass spectrometry facility, housed in the College s Translational and Biomedical Research Center, will be established to unite campus mass spectrometry technologies and resources for participating researchers. Mass spectrometers are used in biomedical research to identify changes in biologically important molecules that can cause or cure diseases, including cancer, stroke and heart disease. (Milwaukee Business Journal, WI)
Researchers trace forests used for wine barrels May 26, 2009
Using mass spectrometry to determine the thousands of various compounds in the aged wine, they were able to pinpoint which forest had provided the wood for each barrel. The findings could prove useful to wine connoisseurs and historians, the researchers said, concluding that their findings produced "chemical representations of the way such noble nectar can shape, on the (tongue) of the wine taster, some of the outlines of the scene of its birth.". (MSNBC -- Environment)
Behind the layers of cell research May 25, 2009
So-called multi-isotope imaging mass spectrometry goes at cells with a ball-wrecker's gusto. But just as wrecking crews can harvest the more or less intact basic materials of a structure, so can Lechene's technique expose the interior of a cell layer by layer, each layer just the thickness of a few atoms. (Boston Globe)
New Understandings In Circadian Rhythms May 23, 2009
"The one in Molecular Cell describes collaborative work with Dr. Scott Gerber in the Norris Cotton Cancer Center. We used mass spectrometry to follow the degree of phosphorylation of over 75 sites on the FRQ clock protein across the day. Most proteins have one or a few phosphorylations, so following these across time is a major technical achievement as well as being informative for the clock biology." ... Using a heavy isotope labeling method and quantitative mass spectrometry, the researchers... (Science Daily)
Proteins Underlying Devastating Brain Diseases Uncovered May 21, 2009
"We developed a new method, which led to this discovery," says Dr Jyoti Choudhary, leader of the Proteomic Mass Spectrometry team, which collaborated with Professor Grant's team on the study, "and it should be equally useful in finding the basis of many other diseases in other cells and tissues of the body.". To find this key set of proteins - called MASCs (a scientific acronym for MAGUK Associated Signaling Complexes and pronounced 'mask') - the researchers adapted a method that had previously... (Science Daily)
Komodo Dragons Even More Deadly Than Thought May 19, 2009
The researchers located and surgically excised the glands from a terminally ill dragon at the Singapore Zoo, and used mass spectrometry to obtain a profile of the venom molecules. The team also analysed which toxin genes were expressed in the dragon's venom gland. (Science Daily)
May 14, 2009: Biodesix Announces VeriStrat(R) Data in Head and Neck Cancer to be Presented at ASCO May 15, 2009
"Biodesix is committed to advancing personalized medicine as we continue our research in identifying the relationship between disease, mass spectrometry profiles and therapies. The data from ASCO, coupled with our previous research, show that VeriStrat is effective at predicting outcomes to therapeutics affecting the EGFR pathway, independent of their specific mode of action, and for tumor types where this is a targeted pathway. This brings us one step closer to a healthcare model that is highly... (PR Newswire)
New Method Used To Detect Antibiotics In Honey May 13, 2009
In order to develop this method, the results of which have been published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the researchers employed ultra performance liquid chromatography, a technique that makes it possible to separate the components of a sample, together with mass spectrometry, which permits the simultaneous identification of up to 17 antibiotics ... Multiclass Analysis of Antibiotic Residues in Honey by Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass... (Science Daily)
Commencements May 10, 2009
Honorary degrees: Lehane; Paul Guzzi, president and chief executive of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce; Catherine Costello, founder and director of the Mass Spectrometry Resource and the Cardiovascular Proteomics Center at the Boston University School of Medicine. Anna Maria College, Paxton. (Boston Globe)
A probable aculeacin A acylase from the Ralstonia solanacearum GMI1000 is N-acyl-homoserine lactone acylase with quorum-quenching activity May 10, 2009
An electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis verified that Aac hydrolysed the amide bond of AHL, releasing homoserine lactone and the corresponding fatty acids. However, ESI-MS analysis demonstrated that the Aac could not catalyze the hydrolysis of the palmitoyl moiety of the aculeacin A. Moreover, the results of MIC test of aculeacin A suggest that Aac could not deacylate aculeacin A. The specificity of Aac for AHLs showed a greater preference for long acyl chains than for... (BioMed Central)
First Fully Automated Pipeline For Multiprotein Complex Production May 8, 2009
24, 2008) Anovel method of using normalized spectral counts derived from a series of affinity purifications analyzed by mass spectrometry to generate a probabilistic measure of the preference of proteins to. . (Science Daily)
Tiny Plant Virus May Be Useful As Drug Deliver Agent May 7, 2009
Using mass spectrometry a method that involves breaking down a protein to produce a pattern of fragments that serves as the protein's fingerprint Koudelka worked with Sunia Trauger, associate director of the Scripps Research Center for Mass Spectrometry, to demonstrate that the 54-kD protein was vimentin. Manchester credits the success of this study to Koudelka's unfailing perseverance. (Science Daily)
Fossil backs theory linking dinosaurs to birds May 6, 2009
If their analysis of the duck-billed dinosaur holds up after more testing - using mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy - Schweitzer and her team will be vindicated. An article accompanying the report in Science quotes mass spectrometry expert Matthew Collins of the University of York in Britain as saying that "that would transform the way we do paleontology" by turning the study of prehistoric life into a scientific discipline much like genetics and molecular biology. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
New Sequencing Technique To Prod Medical Benefits From Killer Venom May 6, 2009
These little creatures that inhabit our planet are masters of developing these bioactive molecules far, far, better than we are, says Brian T. Chait, head of the Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry at Rockefeller, where the research was conducted ... The practice of mass spectrometry distills the elemental amino acid sequences of peptides that make up proteins by cutting the bonds among amino acids, ideally between each one, and measuring the resulting particles... (Science Daily)
Nuclear Masses Measured To Within A Hair’s Precision May 6, 2009
LEBIT uses a technique known as Penning trap mass spectrometry to perform these measurements. (A physics 101 aside: Weight and mass are often confused. (Science Daily)
PerkinElmer buys spectrometry firm May 6, 2009
WALTHAM - , a health and industrial sciences company, has acquired a privately held firm that specializes in mass spectrometry technology, increasing its portfolio of research products ... specializes in mass spectrometry and ion source technology, which are used to determine the chemical structures of various materials. (Boston Globe)
Urine Screening Test May One Day Predict Coronary Artery Disease May 5, 2009
Using two techniques to analyze specimens (mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis), scientists can simultaneously characterize thousands of proteins in one examination. Muehlen and colleagues determined that certain protein fragments can only be found in coronary artery disease patients, and this patient group established the proteome pattern. (Science Daily)
Potentially Harmful Chemicals Found In Forest Fire Smoke May 3, 2009
Laskin et al. Molecular Characterization of Nitrogen-Containing Organic Compounds in Biomass Burning Aerosols Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. Environmental Science & Technology, 2009; 090417112314078 DOI. (Science Daily)
Dinosaur-Bird Link: Ancient Proteins Preserved In Soft Tissue From 80 Million-Year-Old Hadrosaur May 2, 2009
In April 2007 John Asara, PhD, Director of the Mass Spectrometry Core at BIDMC, together with NCSU paleontologist Mary Schweitzer, PhD, published two papers in Science describing their discovery that collagen extracted from bone fragments of a 68-million-year-old T. rex closely matched the amino acid sequences of modern day chickens ... In addition, In situ mass spectrometry studies conducted at Montana State University by Recep Avci and Zhiyong Suo independently verified amino acids in dinosaur... (Science Daily)
Urine Test for Heart Disease Shows Promise May 1, 2009
Two techniques to detect proteins, mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis, were used to find levels of 17 protein fragments that the researchers had identified as being associated with atherosclerosis. When the results were compared to coronary angiography, an X-ray exam that is a standard method for diagnosing atherosclerosis, the urine tests were found to be 84 percent accurate, Muehlen said. (MEDLINEplus)
Newly discovered epidermal growth factor receptor active in human pancreatic cancers Apr 19, 2009
Dr. Pandey's other goal in his research is to use mass spectrometry to find additional markers of pancreatic cancer in the tumors themselves but also in blood and urine, which would avoid the problems of invasive biopsies. As a first step, his team has gone through the scientific literature to create a compendium of several hundred proteins and genes reported to be overexpressed in pancreatic cancers, making them excellent candidates for further study. (EurekAlert!)
