Dissertation
High-throughput profiling of small molecules using mass spectrometry
Promotor: Prof.dr. T. Hankemeier, Co-Promotor: R.J. Vreeken
- Author
- R.J. Raterink
- Date
- 01 October 2014
- Links
- Thesis in Leiden Repository
With the persistent efforts to improve healthcare while the costs are ever-increasing, there is a growing demand for healthcare innovations including faster and cheaper analytical methods to support clinical decisions. The in-depth phenotyping of a biological system, such as comprehensive small-molecule profiling, will be key for breakthroughs in biomedical and pharmacological research towards the development of personalized medicine. In this thesis the development of new methods towards high-throughput, mass spectrometry-based profiling of small molecules in complex biological samples is presented. One option for high-throughput mass spectrometric profiling is direct infusion in which no separation techniques are employed prior to MS detection. With the pre-analytical part being a major bottleneck in a typical direct-infusion MS-based analytical workflow, the focus was set on the development of new sample pretreatment and sampling procedures, including miniaturized and automated concepts with the potential for high-throughput application.