A. Ruth Godfrey

Swansea University | SWAN · Medical School

Understanding and determining levels of lysophospholipids (LPLs) is of increasing interest to the bioanalytical community as they may be targeted for preparative removal as a matrix interference or as a lead substance as a biomarker of disease. Studies monitoring levels of LPLs have used a range of approaches for quantitation whereby those using an...

Analysis of the chemical composition of surfaces by liquid sampling devices interfaced to mass spectrometry is attractive as the sample stream can be continuously monitored at good sensitivity and selectivity. A sampling probe has been constructed that takes discrete liquid samples (typically < 100 nL) of a surface. It incorporates an electrostatic...

Survival time for lung cancer is poor with over 90% of patients dying within five years of diagnosis primarily due to detection at late stage. The main objective of this study was to evaluate Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as a high throughput and cost effective method for identifying biochemical changes in sputum as biomarkers for...

Historically, structural elucidation of unknown analytes by mass spectrometry alone has involved tandem mass spectrometry experiments using electron ionization. Most target molecules for bioanalysis in the metabolome are unsuitable for detection by this previous methodology. Recent publications have used high-resolution accurate mass analysis using...

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are broad-spectrum disinfectants used in a range of everyday materials. Their high usage rates, limited regulation and reporting has meant their environmental release is largely uncontrolled and impact unknown. With links to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and adsorption to wastewater solids (that are recycled),...

Accurate measurement of the composition of complex samples is key for the safety and efficacy of a range of products used in daily life, with sample preparation a critical step in this workflow. QuEChERS is one such method, however published protocols do not explicitly address acidic, basic, neutral, and amphiphilic species in a single protocol and...

This work has investigated the potential of pyrolysis as a recycling solution for two largely uncharacterised waste streams, anaerobically digested (AD) municipal sludge cake and brownfield soil (contaminated with oily sludge). Characterisation of emitted organic compounds from pyrolysis were captured in a solvent (acetone) scrubber and analysed by...

Wastewater (WW) sludge cake is problematic to dispose of with treatment unable to remove organic pollutants. Typical disposal options include landfill or deposition on agricultural land, at considerable expense and environmental impact. Pyrolysis can recycle this waste to biochar however, additional unwanted organic pollutants are generated, differ...

Against a backdrop of the golden gorse covered volcano (extinct) illuminated with strong sunshine, 98 delegates from around the world gathered in the John McIntyre Conference Centre, The University of Edinburgh, to discuss the most challenging of analytical problems: complex mixtures.

FAPA is an atmospheric pressure ionisation technique (Hieftje et al[1] (2008)). A high voltage power supply and helium gas ignite a glow discharge (GD) between two electrodes. Energetic helium species from the GD subsequently react with atmospheric constituents forming reagent ions which ionise the sample in the afterglow region. Sample species are...

Accurate mass instrumentation is becoming increasingly available to non-expert users. This data can be mis-used, particularly for analyte identification. Current best practice in assigning potential elemental formula for reliable analyte identification has been described with modern informatic approaches to analyte elucidation, including chemometri...

Introduction The LTQ-Orbitrap has become popular for routine high throughput analysis with high mass accuracy generating elemental formulae information for analyte identification. Investigations of isotope ratios have been reported and used to limit the number of possible elemental formulae for an ion. Previous work was limited to data acquired in...

High-resolution mass spectrometry has become ever more accessible with improvements in instrumentation, such as modern FT-ICR and Orbitrap mass spectrometers. This has resulted in an increase in the number of articles submitted for publication quoting accurate mass data. There is a plethora of terms related to accurate mass analysis that are in cur...

The current obesity epidemic throughout the western world has resulted in a considerable increase in the condition Type II diabetes mellitus. Recently, the World Health Organization has predicted that the global prevalence of Type II will increase from 175 million patients in 2003 to over 350 million by 2030. One of the major consequences of this d...