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Markus Hartl Advancing proteomics step-by-step

On January 23, 2025, the institute seminar will take place:

January 23, 2025 / 12:00 / HS2
Markus Hartl 
Max Perutz Labs Vienna

“Advancing proteomics step-by-step”

Dr. Markus Hartl is a biologist specialized on LC-MS based proteomics and currently the head of the Mass Spectrometry Facility at Max Perutz Labs, Vienna.

Driven by a keen interest in all living things he studied Ecology and Ecological Biochemistry at the University of Vienna, followed by a PhD thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, where he discovered his passion for proteins and proteomics. As a postdoc he joined the lab of Dr. Iris Finkemeier at the LMU Munich, where he optimized the methodology for deep quantitative acetylome profiling in collaboration with the lab of Dr. Matthias Mann. 

In 2014, he was appointed as head of the Max Perutz Labs Mass Spectrometry Facility. He and his team provide comprehensive proteomics services to both internal research groups at the Perutz and external clients, including academic institutions and companies in Vienna and beyond. His research centers on optimizing proteomics workflows and on developing innovative methods to address complex biological challenges. Additionally, he is a member of the FWF SFB F70 project, focused on “HDACs as regulators of T cell-mediated immunity in health and disease”, where he contributes to advancing our understanding of the intricate regulation of T-cell mediated immunity and how it can be modulated through HDAC activity.

Boryana Petrova “Leveraging Metabolomics to Charakterize Embryonic CSF During Inflammation”

On January 16, 2025, the institute seminar will take place:

January 16, 2025 / 12:00 / HS2
Boryana Petrova
Medical University of Vienna
“Leveraging Metabolomics to Characterize Embryonic CSF During Inflammation”

Dr. Petrova is a broadly trained molecular biologist with extensive expertise in LCMS and metabolomics. Her dedication has enabled her to thrive as a metabolomics expert at prestigious institutions such as MIT and Harvard Medical School (HMS). As a postdoc at MIT, research on Drosophila oogenesis and Toxoplasma gondii drug resistance sparked her interest in metabolomics and LCMS. At Boston Children’s Hospital and HMS, as a staff scientist, she established the metabolomics mass spectrometry facility for the lab of Dr. N. Kanarek, overseeing daily operations and personnel, method development, and data analysis. Her extensive collaborations and independent research have applied metabolomics to various biological inquiries, including cancer, neuroinflammation, developmental biology and more, both in basic and clinically relevant settings. As an instructor at HMS, Dr. Petrova further focused on mentoring colleagues and students and has developed graduate-level courses on cancer metabolism and LCMS. Her commitment to teaching is further demonstrated by her roles as a lecturer at Northeastern University and the Cambridge Centre for International Research. Dr. Petrova has recently assumed the position of Director of the Research Metabolomics Core Facility at Medical University of Vienna. In this role, she aims to drive innovation in metabolomics, support collaborative research efforts, and pursue independent research initiatives.

Josef Ecker “The Gut-Liver Connection: How The Gut Microbiota Regulates Host Lipid Metabolism”

Prof. Dr. Josef Ecker, born in 1978, is a distinguished biologist specializing in lipid metabolism and its implications for health and disease. He completed his biology studies at the University of Regensburg, earning his doctorate in 2007. Following his Ph.D., he conducted research at the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on lipid metabolism.

Currently, Prof. Ecker leads the Functional Lipidomics and Metabolism Research group at the Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Regensburg. His research centers on the interplay between dietary fats, gut microbiota, and systemic lipid metabolism, particularly concerning intestinal lipid absorption and its role in diseases such as cancer.

In addition to his role in Regensburg, Prof. Ecker is a principal investigator in the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1371 at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Within this consortium, he co-leads Project P13, which investigates the impact of dietary fat and gut microbiota interactions on intestinal lipid absorption, systemic lipid metabolism, and intestinal cancer.

Prof. Ecker has an extensive publication record, with his work being cited over 3,500 times, reflecting his significant contributions to the field of lipidomics.

His research aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying lipid metabolism and its influence on health, providing insights that could lead to novel therapeutic strategies for metabolic diseases and cancer. Many thanks, Josef, for your great presentation!

Andreas Koeberle “Targeting ferroptosis and stress adaption: insights from functional multiomics”

Prof. Dr. Andreas Koeberle is a distinguished researcher specializing in the interface of inflammation, cancer, lipid metabolism, and signaling, focusing on uncovering the molecular mechanisms of natural products.

Since 2019, he has been the Head of the Michael Popp Institute at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, where he also holds the position of University Professor for new phyto entities.

He recently obtained a full professorship at the University of Graz in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Prof. Koeberle has an extensive publication record, contributing significantly to biochemistry and pharmacology.

His research aims to develop novel therapeutic strategies by exploring the bioactivity of natural compounds, particularly in the context of inflammatory diseases and cancer.

We were grateful for Andreas’ insightful presentation on the link between the membrane lipidome and ferroptosis signaling. Thank you for coming to Vienna, Andreas!

Pitfalls in Lipid Mass Spectrometry of Mammalian Samples: A Brief Guide for Biologists

A collaborative team of leading scientists, including Prof. Dr. Robert Ahrends, has published a crucial guide addressing the common pitfalls in lipid mass spectrometry analyses of mammalian samples. The paper, titled “Pitfalls in Lipid Mass Spectrometry of Mammalian Samples – A Brief Guide for Biologists,” aims to improve the accuracy of lipid data reported in scientific studies.

Click here for more: LINK to the article.

Lipidomics Forum 2024

The Lipidomics Forum 2024 took place from September 1-3 in Borstel, Germany, focusing on microbial lipids and their role in infectious diseases. Attendees, including Robert, Dominik, Nina, and Stefanie from our working group, discussed general lipidomics topics and bioinformatics challenges in lipid research. The event includes keynote speakers from international institutions and a LIFS Workshop.For more information, visit Lipidomics Forum 2024.

Pictures by Robert Ahrends.

9th European Workshop on Lipid Mediators

At the end of June, Cristina, Nina, and Stefanie had the pleasure of attending the 9th European Workshop on Lipid Mediators in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. This event brought together researchers from all disciplines to explore the latest advancements in the field of bioactive lipid mediators. They had an amazing time presenting their posters, which garnered a lot of interest and valuable feedback from other conference attendees. Beyond the scientific discussions, it was also a great chance to connect with fellow researchers and enjoy some traditional Scottish Ceilidh dancing, making the experience enriching not only professionally but also culturally.

 

ASMS 2024

In June, a few lucky PhD students of our group had the chance to attend the 72nd conference of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) in Anaheim, USA. With over 7000 participants, it is the mecca for  mass spectrometry enthusiast from around the world. The dense program, with over 60 oral sessions and 3000 posters, did not make it easy to choose. For lipidomics enthusiast of course the sessions on anything lipid related were the place to be. 

Several presentations and posters made it quite clear that especially novel fragmentation techniques like EAD and OAD offer promising potential for lipid analysis and will surely have a big impact on the lipidomics field in the next few years. There were also interesting novelties reported for lipid data analysis, ranging from an update of MS-DIAL 5  from Hiroshi Tsugawa to the novel ALEX score from Jürgen Hartler, which is a promising concept for quality control of lipidomic datasets. 

Of course our group members Alex, Bianca and Stefanie also presented their own research: In 3 hour-long poster sessions they had the chance to discuss their projects with many interested fellow conference attendees. And to relax after an intensive day of scientific talks and posters, there was always the chance to get a drink at one of the sponsor’s evening hospitality suites. 

Overall, the conference was a great combination of science, networking and entertainment and will surely be one of the highlights of their PhD.

Photos by Bianca de Jonckheere and Alexander Wenger; text by Stefanie Rubenzucker

A Targeted, Bioinert LC–MS/MS Method for Sensitive, Comprehensive Analysis of Signaling Lipids

A new publication of Stefanie is here! 

Signaling lipids play crucial roles in how cells function. However, it’s been difficult to monitor all these lipids at once because of their complexity and their chemical nature. We’ve developed a new, sensitive method using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) that can accurately track a wide range of these lipids. Our method involves a straightforward sample extraction and uses specialized equipment to analyze 17 different classes of signaling lipids. This process is highly sensitive and consistent, allowing us to monitor 388 lipids in just 20 minutes. We tested our method on human plasma and successfully measured 307 different lipid molecules. We also studied changes in lipid signaling during platelet activation, finding many important regulatory pathways. This new technique opens up the possibility for detailed and comprehensive analysis of signaling lipids in complex biological systems.

Go to this publication!

Rubenzucker S, Manke MC, Lehmann R, Assinger A, Borst O, Ahrends R. A Targeted, Bioinert LC-MS/MS Method for Sensitive, Comprehensive Analysis of Signaling Lipids. Anal Chem. 2024 May 25. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01388. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38795073.

Gordon Conf 2024 on Lipidomics

Robert and Dominik were the participants of the Gordon Conference 2024 on Lipidomics in Lucca (Tuscany, Italy).
 
They presented their innovative and cutting-edge software solutions for rapid and precise lipidomics data analyses. Thanks to the organizers for this great conference!.

Photos by Erin Baker & Robert Ahrends.