Within MolSys
To improve their performances and increase their visibility and achieve a better success rate at international calls, the PIs develop an increasing number of multilateral collaborative projects within the RU.
T
he group of Mass Spectrometry has a long history of collaboration. Most of the topics developed are results of collaborative or at least concerted work within the group. In addition, the valorization of research is shared within the CART. Collaborations with other groups of the UR led to several publications. It includes the group of Physical Theoretical Chemistry for calculations of structures and cross section in ion mobility, NANOCHEM for the elucidation of changes in structure and characterization of binding using Mass Spectrometry and the observation of the behavior of nanomachines, the group of CATALYSIS for the structural elucidation of advanced catalysts. A collaboration with the CERM (UR CESAM) led to several publications in the field of polymers characterization by Mass Spectrometry and Ion Mobility. The support of mass spectrometry is also accessible to the members of the UR.
A project of coupling a microreactor with mass spectrometry is currently developed in the Different collaborative projects are under development inside the UR. First, a project of coupling a microreactor with mass spectrometry is currently developed in the Mass Spectrometry Group, aiming at the monitoring of proteins digestibility, hydrogen deuterium exchange and cross linking. Second, the OBiAChem group is currently developing high-throughput untargeted method for metabolomics applications. The two main applications are colorectal diseases (collaboration with Prof. E. Louis) and asthma phenotyping (collaboration with Prof. R. Louis).
De Pauw / Eppe / Focant
Since 1999, there is an established and internationally recognized collaboration in the field of food chemical safety mainly focused on environmental contaminants entering the food chain. Multi-residues analytical strategies were developed in an integrated approach of exposure characterization from agricultural supplies, food products and human biomonitoring in biological fluids. Analytical methods were mainly developed for halogenated persistent organic pollutants, endocrine disrupting substances and more recently neo-formed compounds in foodstuffs like furan, acrylamide or glycidyl esters. Historical recognition of the 3 collaborators relate to the know-how in processing biological samples to isolate targeted substances present at trace level in complex matrices followed by precise quantitative measurements using advanced spectrometric techniques and multidimensional separation methods. J-F Focant mainly developed GCxGC mutlidimensional approaches. Recently, Eppe and De Pauw developed UPLC-ion mobility-mass spectrometry for the screening of mutli-residues pesticides in food. The group is currently developing and applying global (i.e. untargeted) characterization approaches in biological samples, notably of metabolomic and lipidomic types using advanced mass spectrometry detection (see projects and recent achievements chapter).
Duwez / Monbaliu / Remacle
There is a strong convergence of research activities between three teams: NANOCHEM (Duwez), CiTOS (Monbaliu) and TPC (Remacle) in investigating reactivity and reaction mechanisms under unconventional and extreme conditions, an emerging field that would make it possible to develop a new theme of basic research within the RU. This research direction is based on the synergies resulting from the formation of the RU in the field of microfluidics (CiTOS), single molecule force spectroscopy (NANOCHEM) and the theory and modeling of the control of chemical reactivity (TPC). These fundamental developments will support the development of advanced technologies at the interface of today's major societal problems. The CiTOS group studies reactivity and its control in a set of molecules under extreme pressure and temperature conditions specific to microfluidics. The NANOCHEM group develops AFM-derived tools for probing chemical processes within individual molecules, and studies how to induce the response of single molecules to mechanical stresses that modify their conformation and can induce a controlled breaking of chemical bonds and the formation of new ones. These two experimental techniques make it possible to bring the molecules in highly distorted nuclei geometries with respect to their equilibrium geometry, which makes it possible to explore new reaction mechanisms under unconventional constraints. A coupling of these constraints with a photochemical excitation can also be envisaged. The TPC has theoretical and computational expertise in the field of reactivity and control at the molecular level, using quantum, semi-classical and classical dynamics simulations that include perturbations that induce reactivity.
Monbaliu / Quinton / Damblon
PIs Monbaliu and Quinton have started a research program toward microfluidic strategies and systems for the complex multistep preparation of synthetic peptide constructs. This objective involves several chemical and technological challenges. Chemical challenges imply, among others, to adapt the constraints of peptide synthesis to the specific requirements of microfluidics, the development of new reagents and conditions for increased efficiency and selectivity, the handling of fragile substances under intensified conditions, and the telescoping of multistep sequences. Technological challenges revolve around the design of robust and efficient microfluidic systems, the implementation of microfluidic extraction and separation devices, as well as the coupling of standard peptide analytical tools to microfluidics chips. The areas of expertise of the two PIs is complemented with Damblon’s expertise in NMR study of peptide structure and properties. Within the same area of research, CiTOS is currently developing light-induced protocols for advanced peptide synthesis.
Monbaliu / Eppe
Monbaliu and Eppe collaborate on the development of (a) microfluidic strategies for the preparation and utilization of inorganic nanoparticles and (b) intensified continuous-flow strategies for the valorization of biobased platforms and and (c) Development of analytical strategies using microfluidic for on-line, in situ measurement of environmental contaminants by Raman based detection. These projects rely on Monbaliu’s expertise in applied (bio)organic chemistry as well as in flow technologies, and Eppe’s in advanced analytical chemistry.
De Pauw / Far / Quinton
Several projects in the mass spectrometry laboratory, among which an EOS project take benefit from the dual approach, Physical and Biological chemistry of the two PIs. It allows to designed new analytical concepts applied to compounds of biological interest. Capillary electrophoresis (mobility in solution) and ion mobility in the gas phase can be coupled to analyze the change of shape of the ions during desolvation and validate the “native mass spectrometry” concept
De Pauw/ Eppe / Quinton
Localizing molecules in samples is one of growing interest. Molecular imaging methods receive a growing interest. A project aims at the construction of nanoparticules that can increase the response in both Raman spectroscopy using the SERS effect and in MALDI using the LASER light conversion to heat. The superposition of images can be used to localize low abundant species by adding molecular recognition properties to the nanoparticles.
De Pauw / Delaude
Ion mobility and high-resolution mass spectrometry are still marginally used in the field of catalysis; The groups have joined efforts to study the relation between the shape of catalysts and their reactivity. A parallel collaboration with the Karlsruhe Institute of technology on di-nuclear catalysts is now producing significant results.
De Pauw / Quinton
Several projects in the mass spectrometry laboratory, among which an EOS project take benefit from the dual approach, Physical and Biological chemistry of the two PIs. It allows to designed new analytical concepts applied to compounds of biological interest.
The following project is a good example of previous research of one laboratory finding application in a collaboration with the Center for proteins engineering
Eppe / Monbaliu / Remacle
There is a strong convergence of research activities between IAC, CiTOS and TPC in nanomaterials and nanostructured sensors for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy detection. IAC group studies and synthetizes customized (bio)chemical nanoprobes to develop analytical strategies for clinical, environmental monitoring, molecular imaging by SERS and lab-on-a-chip with portable Raman system. In close collaboration with CiTOS, integrated systems combining microfluidics and nanoparticles synthesis showed that reproducible noble-metal nanoparticles could easily be designed. Parameters like size, shape, mono or bi (core-shell) NPs can be controlled in microreactors/microfluidic cells. Efforts to improve reproducibility of SERS substrate have been successful and demonstrated for pesticides using Au, Ag and Au@Ag. Mechanisms and fundamental principles of SERS are not fully understood; developing analytical SERS methods require a thorough understanding of the physico-chemical phenomena at the NP surface. The TPC theoretical and computational expertise in modeling the structural, redox and optical properties of functionalized metallic nanoparticles provides an understanding at the atomic scale of the binding modes of the targeted molecule on the surface of the NP and on the possible interferences with other molecules, like for example the other ligands used to passivate the NP or degradation products of the substance of interest. These binding modes also govern the targeted molecule spectroscopic Raman fingerprints. Preliminary collaborative work on the SERS detection of the glyphosate molecule has already been carried out by the three groups. We plan in the next future to extend these studies to other molecules of interest such as dithiocarbamates pesticides exhibiting disulfide bridge.
Agnello/Damblon/De Pauw
