Advances in the Mass Spectrometry of Chemical and Biological Samples

Dear Colleagues,

For many decades, mass spectrometry (MS) has evolved as a potent analytical technology renowned for its exceptional sensitivity and specificity, enabling the manipulation of ions and the thorough analysis of chemical and biological samples. It is also a versatile technique that can be coupled with separation techniques, including chromatography, electrophoresis, and ion mobility, and many other analytical instruments. In this context, MS, commonly viewed as the primary technology used in 'omics' investigations, is suitable for a wide array of applications in medicine, health and nutrition, drug development, food chemistry, synthetic chemistry, agriculture, forensics, and environmental science.

In recent decades, there has been substantial progress in the ionization techniques used in MS, innovations in mass analyzer principles and technology, improvements in sample preparation methodologies, and enhancements in data analysis algorithms. The introduction of ambient ionization techniques revolutionized the MS research field by facilitating direct sampling and ionization of biological samples in their native environments, eliminating the need for prior treatment while producing minimal damage to the samples. This breakthrough enabled the analysis of complex mixtures, such as whole blood, urine, and tissue samples, directly on site, bypassing the requirements for sample preparation and chromatographic separation. In medicine, different surgical MS systems based on ambient ionization techniques have been used for intraoperative diagnosis. In addition, ambient ionization had significant implications for the research direction in miniature MS systems, which aims to strike a balance between size reduction, ease of use, and the performance needed for particular applications, making miniature MS systems future point-of-care service devices with utility in personalized treatment for patients. Apart from the molecular insights provided by MS analysis, mass spectrometry imaging extends its capabilities by revealing the spatial distribution of different molecules within tissues, with major significance for clinical use, especially in severe pathologies.

In this Special Issue, we would like to give an overview of the tremendous versatility, efficiency, and utility of mass spectrometry to advance different science fields. We cordially invite researchers to participate in this Special Issue by submitting research articles, reviews, and communications that cover advancements in instrumentation and methodologies, bioinformatics, and applications of mass spectrometry for addressing chemical and biological challenges.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Alina Florina Serb
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sample preparation, extraction, and ionization techniques
• targeted and untargeted MS-based methods
• high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)
• MS-based omics
• MS imaging
• MS-based biomarker discovery and clinical diagnosis
• MS-based drug development and toxicity monitoring
• MS-based analysis of microbiome
• MS in food chemistry and control
• MS in forensic science
• MS in cosmetic science
• MS in environmental science
• miniature MS systems
• MS applications in nanomaterials development
• MS applications in synthetic chemistry