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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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, accepted.
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, accepted.
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., 2020, in press.
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, accepted.
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.
169/ Jarod A. Fincher, Andrew R. Korte, Jacqueline E. Dyer, Sridevi Yadavilli, Nicholas J. Morris, Derek R. Jones, Victoria K. Shanmugam, Russel K. Pirlo, and Akos Vertes, “Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Triglycerides in Biological Tissues by Laser Desorption Ionization from Silicon Nanopost Arrays,” J. Mass Spectrom., 2020, 55, e4443.
168/ Sylwia A. Stopka, Laith Samarah, Jared B. Shaw, Andrey V. Liyu, Dušan Veličković, Beverly J. Agtuca, Caroline Kukolj, David W. Koppenaal, Gary Stacey, Ljiljana Paša-Tolić, Christopher R. Anderton and Akos Vertes, “Ambient Metabolic Profiling and Imaging of Biological Samples with Ultrahigh Molecular Resolution using Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization 21 Tesla FTICR Mass Spectrometry,” Anal. Chem., 2019, 91, 5028-5035.
167/ Andrew R. Korte, Nicholas J. Morris, and Akos Vertes, “High Throughput Complementary Analysis and Quantitation of Metabolites by MALDI- and Silicon Nanopost Array-Laser Desorption/Ionization-Mass Spectrometry,” Anal. Chem., 2019, 91, 3951-3958.
166/ Sylwia A. Stopka, Rikkita Khattar, Beverly J. Agtuca, Christopher R. Anderton, Ljiljana Paša-Tolić, Gary Stacey, and Akos Vertes, “Metabolic Noise and Distinct Subpopulations Observed by Single Cell LAESI Mass Spectrometry of Tissue-Embedded Plant Cells,” Front. Plant Sci., 2018, 9, 1646.
165/ Jarod A. Fincher, Jacqueline E. Dyer, Andrew R. Korte, Sridevi Yadavilli, Nicholas J. Morris, and Akos Vertes, “Matrix-free Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Mouse Brain Tissue Sections on Silicon Nanopost Arrays,” J. Comp. Neurol., 2018, 1-21.
164/ Linwen Zhang, Nikkita Khattar, Ildiko Kemenes, Gyorgy Kemenes, Zita Zrinyi, Zsolt Pirger, and Akos Vertes, “Subcellular Peptide Localization in Single Identified Neurons by Mass Spectrometry,” Sci. Rep., 2018, 8, 12227.
163/ Sylwia A. Stopka, Xavier A. Holmes, Andrew R. Korte, Laine R. Compton, Scott T. Retterer, and Akos Vertes, “Trace Analysis and Reaction Monitoring by Nanophotonic Ionization Mass Spectrometry from Elevated Bowtie and Silicon Nanopost Arrays,” Adv. Funct. Mater., 2018, 28, 1801730.
162/ Linwen Zhang, Christopher J. Sevinsky, Brian M. Davis, and Akos Vertes, “Single-Cell Mass Spectrometry of Subpopulations Selected by Fluorescence Microscopy,” Anal. Chem., 2018, 90, 4626-4634.
161/ Dusan Velickovic, Beverly J. Agtuca, Sylwia A. Stopka, Akos Vertes, David W. Koppenaal, Ljiljana Pasa-Tolic, Gary Stacey, Christopher R. Anderton, “Observed metabolic asymmetry within soybean root nodules reflects unexpected complexity in rhizobacteria-legume metabolite exchange,” ISME J., 2018, 12, 2335-2338.
160/ Linwen Zhang, and Akos Vertes, “Single‐Cell Mass Spectrometry Approaches to Explore Cellular Heterogeneity,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2018, 57, 4466-4477.
159/ Hang Li, and Akos Vertes, “Solvent Gradient Electrospray for Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry,” Analyst, 2017, 142, 2921-2927.
158/ Jarod A. Fincher, Andrew R. Korte, Brent Reschke, Nicholas J. Morris, Matthew J. Powell, and Akos Vertes, “Enhanced Sensitivity and Metabolite Coverage with Remote Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Aided by Coaxial Plume and Gas Dynamics,” Analyst, 2017, 142, 3157-3164.
157/ Zita Zrinyi, Gabor Maasz, Linwen Zhang, Akos Vertes, Tibor Kiss, Karoly Elekes, and Zsolt Pirger, “Effect of progesterone and its synthetic analogs on reproduction and embryonic development,” Aquatic Toxicology, 2017, 190, 94-103.
156/ Sylwia A. Stopka, Beverly J. Agtuca, David W. Koppenaal, Ljiljana Paša-Tolić, Gary Stacey, Akos Vertes, and Christopher R. Anderton, “Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry with Ion Mobility Separation Reveals Metabolites and Lipids in the Symbiotic Interactions of Soybean Roots and Rhizobia,” The Plant Journal, 2017, 91, 340-354.
155/ Hang Li, Pranav Balan, and Akos Vertes, “Molecular Imaging of Growth, Metabolism, and Antibiotic Inhibition in Bacterial Colonies by Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2016, 55, 15035-15039.
154/ Andrew R. Korte, Sylwia A. Stopka, Nicholas Morris, Trust Razunguzwa, and Akos Vertes, “Large-Scale Metabolite Analysis of Standards and Human Serum by Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry from Silicon Nanopost Arrays,” Anal. Chem., 2016, 88, 8989-8996.
153/ Sylwia A. Stopka, Charles Rong, Andrew R. Korte, Sridevi Yadavilli, Javad Nazarian, Trust T. Razunguzwa, Nicholas J. Morris, and Akos Vertes, “Molecular Imaging of Biological Samples on Nanophotonic Laser Desorption Ionization Platforms,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2016, 55, 4482-4486.