Vertes Research Group

Welcome

The scientific interests in the Vertes Research Group span from fundamental studies in analytical and physical chemistry to the development of new technologies for biomedical analysis. Recent accomplishments include the discovery of photonic ion sources based on columnar nanostructures, the introduction of a new ambient ion source called laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI), metabolic imaging of biological tissues under native conditions, and the in situ mass spectrometric analysis of single cells.

Research highlights

1 - Laser induced silicon microcolumn arrays (LISMA) exhibit nanophotonic properties and unique fragmentation patterns that are adjustable by the laser fluence, and simultaneously produce high and low energy fragments.
2 - Laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI) is a new atmospheric pressure ion source for mass spectrometry. LAESI enables the direct analysis tissues, cells and other water containing samples.
3 - Silicon nanopost arrays (NAPA) can be tailored to exhibit resonant ion production. Ion yields from posts with subwavelength diameter show sharp resonances at high aspect ratios.
4 - Phase Doppler anemometry reveals that droplet size and velocity distributions in electrosprays are strongly dependent on the spraying mode that, in turn, is determined by the liquid flow rate and the spray voltage.
5 - Laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI) mass spectromtry enables the atmospheric pressure molecular imaging of biological tissues. The LAESI image of a rat brain coronal section shows the distribution of specific lipids.
7 - Nanopost array (NAPA) chips with different periodicities on a silicon wafer exhibit unique optical properties. Excited by laser radiation, they behave as nanophotonic ion sources.
8 - Single cell analysis by laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI) mass spectromtry produces rich spectra with over 100 ionic species. Numerous metabolites and lipids can be identified.
9 - Fast photography of electrospray mensci reveals the relationship between spraying modes and ion production in electrospray ionization. Dramatic changes in the droplet size distributions result from the various ejection and breakup mechanisms observed.

Recent articles

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191/ Akos Vertes, “Hydrochloric acid and soybean - A professional retrospective,” Magy. Kem. Foly., 2024, 130, 65-74.
190/ Marjan Dolatmoradi, Joanna Ellis, Christine Austin, Manish Arora, and Akos Vertes, “Detection and Imaging of Exposure-Related Metabolites and Xenobiotics in Hard Tissues by Laser Sampling and Mass Spectrometry,” Anal. Chem., 2024, 96, 7022-7029.
189/ Marjan Dolatmoradi, Zsolt Sándor, Imre Vágó, Daniel A. Lowy, Akos Vertes, and Ida Kincses, “Nutrient supplementation-induced metabolic profile changes and early appearance of free N-glycans in nutrient deficient tomato plants revealed by mass spectrometry,” Analyst, 2024, 149, 2709-2718.
188/ Marjan Dolatmoradi, Sylwia A Stopka, Chloe Corning, Gary Stacey, and Akos Vertes, “High-Throughput f-LAESI-IMS-MS for Mapping Biological Nitrogen Fixation One Cell at a Time,” Anal. Chem., 2023, 95, 17741-17749.
187/ Akos Vertes, Zheng Ouyang, and Janusz Pawliszyn, “On-site and in-vivo strategies for instrument and method development, a sustainable alternative for the new generation of analytical chemists,” TrAC, Trends Anal. Chem., 2023, 159, 116937.
186/ Akos Vertes, “Symbiosis of Legumes and Soil Bacteria Explored by Single Cell Mass Spectrometry,” DRC Sustainable Future, 2022, 3, 33-40.
185/ Marjan Dolatmoradi, Laith Z. Samarah, and Akos Vertes, “Single-Cell Metabolomics by Mass Spectrometry: Opportunities and Challenges,” Anal. Sens., 2022, 2, e202100032.
184/ Michael J. Taylor, Andrey Liyu, Akos Vertes, and Christopher R. Anderton, “Ambient imaging of single cells and native tissues using laser-ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry with increased spatial resolution,” J. Am. Soc. Mass Spec., 2021, 32, 2490-2494.
183/ Sylwia A. Stopka, Ellen A. Wood, Rikkita Khattar, Beverly J. Agtuca, Walid M. Abdelmoula, Nathalie Y. R. Agar, Gary Stacey, and Akos Vertes, “High-Throughput Analysis of Tissue-Embedded Single Cells by Mass Spectrometry with Bimodal Imaging and Object Recognition,” Anal. Chem., 2021, 93, 9677-9687.
182/ Ellen A. Wood, Sylwia A. Stopka, Linwen Zhang, Sara Mattson, Gabor Maasz, Zsolt Pirger and Akos Vertes, “Neuropeptide Localization in Lymnaea stagnalis: From the Central Nervous System to Subcellular Compartments,” Front. Mol. Neurosci., 2021, 14, 670303.
181/ Michael J. Taylor, Sara Mattson, Andrey Liyu, Sylwia Stopka, Yehia Ibrahim, Akos Vertes and Christopher R. Anderton, “Optical microscopy-guided laser ablation electrospray ionization ion mobility mass spectrometry: ambient single cell metabolomics with increased confidence in molecular identification,” Metabolites, 2021, 11, 200.
180/ Laith Z. Samarah, Tina H. Tran, Gary Stacey, and Akos Vertes, “Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Biooligomer Polydispersity in Plant Tissues by Laser Desorption Ionization from Silicon Nanopost Arrays,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 9071-9077.
179/ Jarod A. Fincher, Andrew R. Korte, Sridevi Yadavilli, Nicholas J. Morris, and Akos Vertes, “Multimodal Imaging of Biological Tissues Using Combined MALDI and NAPA-LDI Mass Spectrometry for Enhanced Molecular Coverage,” Analyst, 2020, 145, 6910-6918.
178/ Laith Z. Samarah, and Akos Vertes, “Mass spectrometry imaging based on laser desorption ionization from inorganic and nanophotonic platforms,” VIEW, 2020, 20200063.
177/ Marjan Dolatmoradi, Jarod A. Fincher, Andrew R. Korte, Nicholas J. Morris, and Akos Vertes, “Remote Ablation Chamber for High Efficiency Particle Transfer in Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry,” Analyst, 2020, 145, 5861-5869.
176/ J. Houston Miller, Rachelle J. Golden, Jennifer A. Giaccai, Andrew R. Korte, Andrew Kamischke, Akos Vertes, “Application of Chemical Graph Theory to PAH Isomer Enumeration and Structure in Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Studies of Particulate from an Ethylene Diffusion Flame,” Proc. Combust. Inst., 2021, 38, 1345-1353.
175/ Laith Z. Samarah, Tina H. Tran, Gary Stacey, and Akos Vertes, “In vivo Chemical Analysis of Plant Sap from the Xylem and Single Parenchymal Cells by Capillary Microsampling Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry,” Anal. Chem., 2020, 92, 7299-7306.
174/ Laith Z. Samarah, Rikkita Khattar, Tina Tran, Sylwia A. Stopka, Christine A. Brantner, Paola Parlanti, Dušan Veličković, Jared B. Shaw, Beverly J. Agtuca, Gary Stacey, Ljiljana Paša-Tolić, Nikola Tolić, Christopher R. Anderton, and Akos Vertes, “Single-Cell Metabolic Profiling: Metabolite Formulas from Isotopic Fine Structures in Heterogeneous Plant Cell Populations,” Anal. Chem., 2020, 92, 7289-7298.
173/ Beverly J. Agtuca, Sylwia A. Stopka, Sterling Evans, Laith Z. Samarah, Yang Liu, Dong Xu, Minviluz G. Stacey, David W. Koppenaal, Ljiljana Paša-Tolić, Christopher R. Anderton, Akos Vertes and Gary Stacey, “Metabolomic profiling of wild-type and mutant soybean root nodules using laser-ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry reveals altered metabolism,” The Plant Journal, 2020, 103, 1937-1958.
172/ Rachelle S. Jacobson, Andrew R. Korte, Akos Vertes, and J. Houston Miller, “The Molecular Composition of Soot,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2020, 59, 4484-4490.
171/ Jarod A. Fincher, Derek R. Jones, Andrew R. Korte, Jacqueline E. Dyer, Paola Parlanti, Anastas Popratiloff, Christine A. Brantner, Nicholas J. Morris, Russell K. Pirlo, Victoria K. Shanmugam, and Akos Vertes, “Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Lipids in Human Skin Disease Model Hidradenitis Suppurativa by Laser Desorption Ionization from Silicon Nanopost Arrays,” Sci. Rep., 2019, 9, 17508.
170/ Beverly J. Agtuca, Sylwia A. Stopka, Thalita R. Tuleski, Fernanda P. do Amaral, Sterling Evans, Yang Liu, Dong Xu, Rose Adele Monteiro, David W. Koppenaal, Ljiljana Paša-Tolić, Christopher R. Anderton, Akos Vertes, and Gary Stacey, “In situ metabolomic analysis of Setaria viridis roots colonized by beneficial endophytic bacteria,” Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 2020, 33, 272-283.