3. KONFERENCE ČESKÉ SPOLEČNOSTI PRO HMOTNOSTNÍ SPEKTROMETRII - Sborník abstraktů

Significance of the Theme

The 3rd Conference of the Czech Society for Mass Spectrometry brought together leading experts to exchange advances in instrumentation, methodology, and applications of mass spectrometry across analytical chemistry, biology, environment, and industry. High-resolution mass analyzers, novel ionization techniques, and coupling to separation methods were highlighted as essential drivers of sensitivity, selectivity, and throughput in modern laboratories.

Objectives and Overview

This collection of contributions aimed to showcase: 1) new developments in mass spectrometric instrumentation and ion chemistry; 2) innovative sample-preparation and separation strategies; 3) breakthroughs in biological, environmental, pharmaceutical, and industrial analyses; and 4) prospects for integrating multimodal approaches such as ion mobility and ambient ionization.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Participants employed a wide range of platforms and techniques:

• High-resolution accurate-mass instruments: orbitrap and time-of-flight systems with <1 ppm mass accuracy and >50 000 resolving power.
• Triple quadrupole and QTRAP mass spectrometers for ultra-sensitive quantitation.
• Ion mobility spectrometry for gas-phase conformational studies and 4D separations.
• MALDI and ambient‐ionization methods (DESI, nanoDESI, SALDI) for imaging and direct surface analysis.
• Capillary electrophoresis, UPLC, GC, and supercritical fluid chromatography front ends.
• Affinity-based enrichments: immobilized metal affinity, TiO₂ phosphopeptide capture, and in-tip micro-SPE.
• Emerging tools: ion funnels, infrared photodissociation of He-tagged ions, and automated laser scanning for high‐speed imaging.

Main Results and Discussion

Key findings included: identification of novel gas-phase reaction mechanisms of catalyzed organometallics; mapping of protein–protein interactions by cross-linking and MS; characterization of new lipid and metabolite biomarkers in plants, microbes, and human breath; improved multi-mycotoxin screening spanning 300+ analytes in diverse matrices; and real-time monitoring of microbial VOCs. High-throughput imaging using rapid laser scanning on MALDI surfaces demonstrated an order-of-magnitude speed increase.

Contributions and Practical Applications

The reported advances translate into:

• Enhanced detection limits (ppt–ppb range) in clinical, environmental, and food safety testing.
• Robust profiling workflows for proteomics, phosphoproteomics, and metabolomics in complex samples.
• Improved analysis of biological fluids, breath, and tissues for diagnostics and personalized medicine.
• New strategies for investigating antibiotic resistance, microbial ecology, and plant stress responses.
• Streamlined workflows for contaminant screening in agriculture and industry.

Future Trends and Possibilities

Attendees identified several emerging directions:

• Widespread adoption of ion mobility–integrated platforms for 4D separations.
• Further miniaturization and automation of sample-preparation modules.
• Ambient, label-free imaging at cellular resolution for clinical pathology.
• Data-driven automation: real-time reaction monitoring and untargeted screening using advanced informatics.
• Synergies between accurate-mass quantitation and high-throughput QTRAP approaches.

Conclusion

The conference underscored the rapid evolution of mass spectrometry into a versatile, multidimensional analytical powerhouse. Collaborative efforts in instrument development, methodology optimization, and informatics will continue to expand the frontiers of analytically driven research across disciplines.