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
The rising prevalence of obesity globally presents a critical social challenge, threatening to reverse the progress made in life expectancy in developed nations. Gaining a thorough understanding of the mechanisms behind fat cell production is, thus, essential for the development of novel treatment strategies. While past studies focused on individual molecular layers, we recognize the importance of considering higher network connectivity levels, particularly lipid feedback controlling the master regulator of adipogenesis, PPARG. Our approach integrates advanced lipidomics and proteomics techniques, monitoring PPARG and the lipidome during perturbations in vitro. Through innovative multiomics strategies and high-throughput imaging, we dissect feedback networks and identify lipid regulators of PPARG. This research not only advances scientific knowledge but also holds promise for future obesity drug development, potentially revolutionizing treatment approaches. 
