Mass Spectrometry Used to Identify Proteins in Fossils
Scientists from North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina) and Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts) have used Thermo Fisher Scientific (San Jose, California) LTQ linear ion trap and LTQ Orbitrap XL mass spectrometers to extract and sequence tiny pieces of collagen protein from a dinosaur and a mastodon.
Scientists from North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina) and Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts) have used Thermo Fisher Scientific (San Jose, California) LTQ linear ion trap and LTQ Orbitrap XL mass spectrometers to extract and sequence tiny pieces of collagen protein from a dinosaur and a mastodon. The sequences from a 68 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex and a 160,000?600,000-year-old mastodon are the oldest to be reported. The protein fragments were compared with peptide?protein sequences in existing databases, which led researchers to propose a link between the T. rex and current day chickens and the mastodon with modern elephants.
Emerging Trends and Challenges in Detecting Residues and Contaminants in Food in the Exposome Era
June 18th 2025This article describes the analytical challenges of chemical exposomics in food safety. The need for high-throughput, multi-platform approaches—such as LC–HRMS and GC–HRMS with IMS—to capture the full spectrum of potential contaminants in our food supply is emphasised.
New Research Explores Role of Nucleotide Hydrophobicity in Oligonucleotide Separation
June 18th 2025Researchers from Waters and Biospring studied the contribution of nucleotide type and modifications on the retention and resolution of 22–24 nt long oligonucleotides in different chromatographic methods.
A Life Measured in Peaks: Honoring Alan George Marshall (1944–2025)
June 18th 2025A pioneer of FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry, Alan G. Marshall (1944–2025), is best known for co-inventing Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), a transformative technique that enabled ultrahigh-resolution analysis of complex mixtures. Over a career spanning more than five decades at institutions like the University of British Columbia, The Ohio State University, and Florida State University, he published over 650 peer-reviewed papers and mentored more than 150 scientists. Marshall’s work profoundly impacted fields ranging from astrobiology to petroleomics and earned him numerous prestigious awards and fellowships. Revered for his intellect, mentorship, and dedication to science, he leaves behind a legacy that continues to shape modern mass spectrometry.
