Title: Leveraging High-Resolution Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Approaches for Improving Analysis of Metabolites, Illicit Drugs, and Environmental Contaminants

Abstract: Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) has emerged as a powerful analytical technique in the biological -omics over the last two decades, due to advantages in speed and separation capabilities. Despite its now widespread utility, the resolving power of many commercial IM platforms (~40-60) is often insufficient for resolution of structurally similar compounds such as stereoisomers. This presents a critical need for us to develop higher resolution techniques to continue to push the boundaries of molecular discovery. This presentation will focus on recent developments in IM technology, hybrid methods, and complementary chemical reactions to improve analysis of a wide range of biologically relevant species. First, we will discuss Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) high-resolution ion mobility (HRIM), including recent hardware modifications and application to environmental contaminants. Second, we will investigate interesting gas-phase behavior of fentanyl analogues and how combining IM with MS/MS and hydrogen-deuterium exchange can provide unprecedented structural detail. Finally, we will present an analytical suite of simple, inexpensive reactions targeting steroid functional groups for significantly improved sensitivity, selectivity, and structural elucidation.

Bio: Dr. Christopher Chouinard is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Clemson University. He received his Ph.D. working under Rick Yost at University of Florida. During his graduate studies, he responsible for integrating drift tube-ion mobility spectrometry (DTIMS) into the Yost lab. Chris’s interests at UF involved IM-MS studies of clinical molecules (steroids, Vitamin D metabolites) and improved identification of anabolic androgenic steroids in athletes. After graduating from UF, Chris held a prestigious post-doctoral position at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, WA. While working with Dick Smith, Chris designed and developed a Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) platform that enabled the first integration of LC into the SLIM IM-MS pipeline for improved analysis in phosphoproteomics. After four years at Florida Tech, Chris joined the faculty at Clemson in 2022. Project in his group broadly involve IM-MS instrument development, fundamentals of ionization and gas-phase structure, and applications toward illicit drugs, biomolecules, and environmental contaminants. He currently holds joint affiliations in the Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center (EPIC), Clemson University School of Health Research (CUSHR), and the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute.