4. KONFERENCE ČESKÉ SPOLEČNOSTI PRO HMOTNOSTNÍ SPEKTROMETRII - Sborník abstraktů

Significance of Mass Spectrometry

The 4th Conference of the Czech Society for Mass Spectrometry brought together leading experts in ion chemistry, biological, clinical, and industrial applications of mass spectrometry. Advances in ambient ionization, high-resolution instrumentation, and novel separation techniques drive ever more sensitive and selective analyses, from fundamental gas-phase reaction kinetics to mapping biomolecules in tissues and monitoring drug metabolism in patients.

Goals and Overview of the Conference

The meeting aimed to present cutting-edge research on:

• Fundamental studies of ion–molecule and ion–electron reactions at low temperatures
• Application of ion mobility, infrared spectroscopy, and cross-linking for structural mass spectrometry
• Innovations in sample preparation: SPME, on-line SPE, DLTV, ambient ion beams
• Novel workflows in quantitative bioanalysis of drugs, metabolites, and biomarkers
• Imaging mass spectrometry approaches for tissues and materials

Presentations spanned plenary lectures on protein misfolding in Parkinson’s research and direct intact protein quantitation, through specialized sessions on ion chemistry, proteomics, organic analysis, environmental and food applications, to clinical and pharmaceutical metabolomics.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Attendees showcased a broad array of analytical platforms and methods:

• Ion Mobility–MS (IM-MS) for conformational studies of protein oligomers and gas-phase catalysis
• Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange MS and IRMPD spectroscopy for protein–ligand mapping and carbene structure elucidation
• Selected Ion Flow Tube (SIFT-MS) and TD-SIFT-MS for real-time breath and headspace analysis of volatile biomarkers
• Micro-APPI and APCI interfaces for neutral lipid analysis in biological fluids
• On-line SPE with multiple reaction monitoring and ultra-fast LC–MS/MS for therapeutic drug monitoring
• Ambient ionization methods (DESI, nanoDESI, ambient ion landing) for imaging mass spectrometry of tissues and surfaces
• Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC-MS) and comprehensive multi-dimensional separations for isobaric and neutral compound resolution

Main Results and Discussion

Key findings included:

• Discovery of new Parkinson’s-related protein fragments via IM-MS
• First direct quantitation of intact proteins on triple quadrupole MS
• Measurement of thermochemistry and barriers in lanthanide/actinide cation reactives by guided ion beam MS
• Demonstration of photochemical trapping of protein–protein interfaces for cross-linking studies
• High-throughput on-line SPE workflows for tyrosine kinase inhibitors and metabolic profiling in patient serum and urine
• SIFT-MS and TD-SIFT-MS approaches for quantifying breath methanol, HCN, and aldehydes as disease markers
• Ambient ion landing on modified MALDI targets enabling selective phosphopeptide enrichment
• Innovations in sample prep for membrane proteomics, glycan profiling, and analyte desalting

Benefits and Practical Applications

The presented work translates to practical advances in:

• Clinical diagnostics: non-invasive breath and urine markers for gastroesophageal reflux, cancer, cystic fibrosis, and metabolic disorders
• Pharmaceutical quality control: fast quantitation of kinase inhibitors and their metabolites for therapeutic drug monitoring
• Fundamental gas-phase chemistry: accurate rate constants and structural insights to support astrochemical and catalytic models
• Proteomics and structural biology: robust cross-linking and H/D exchange protocols for mapping protein interactions and dynamics
• Food safety and environmental analysis: rapid screening of adulterants, pesticides, and organic pollutants via multimodal chromatography and ambient MS
• Imaging mass spectrometry: correlative molecular and elemental imaging for infection biomarkers and tissue pathology

Future Trends and Opportunities

Emerging directions highlighted during the meeting include:

• Integration of high-throughput on-line sample preparation with ultra-fast MS for clinical workflows
• Expanded use of ambient and atmospheric-pressure ionization for in-situ and real-time analysis
• Advanced ion mobility and infrared spectroscopy to resolve isomers and conformers in complex mixtures
• Machine-learning driven data processing for SWATH-type acquisition and high-content proteomics
• Multi-modality imaging combining MS, microscopy, and PET for comprehensive tissue characterization
• Green and sustainable practices in analytical workflows, reducing solvent use and waste

Conclusion

The 4th Czech Society Conference on Mass Spectrometry showcased significant progress across the spectrum of MS research, from fundamental ion chemistry to applied biomedical and industrial analyses. Collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches are driving rapid innovation in instrumentation, methods, and data analysis, paving the way for more sensitive, selective, and sustainable solutions to analytical challenges.

References

[1] Gillet et al., Mol. Cell Proteomics, 2012; [2] Pascal et al., J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom., 2012; [3] Španěl & Smith, Mass Spectrom. Rev., 2011