Professor Works with Students to Publish Research
Research by Katherine Stumpo, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, and two recent Scranton graduates, Nolan McLaughlin ’20 and Tyler Bielinski ’18, ’G20, was published in the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. They also have a patent pending on their imaging technique.Research on mass spectrometry imaging by Katherine Stumpo, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, and two of her students, now graduates, was published in an academic journal. They also have a patent pending on their imaging technique.
Dr. Stumpo, who leads a research group of 12 undergraduate and 10 graduate students at the University, focuses their research on mass spectrometry (MS), which is an analytical technique that essentially “weighs” molecules.
“MS research extends from instrument development to applications in chemistry, geology, forensics, biological sciences, and more,” said Dr. Stumpo. “Our project focus of late has been on mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), which is an incredibly powerful technique that can determine qualitative and quantitative information of hundreds of compounds in a tissue section in one experiment. We have published on this recently, as a proof-of-concept that we can detect these compounds of interest.”
Dr. Stumpo’s ongoing research is a continuation of that work.
Dr. Stumpo and then University of Scranton students Nolan McLaughlin ’20, Moscow, and Tyler Bielinski ’18, ’G20, Dunmore; along with colleagues Caitlin Tressler, Ph.D.; Eric Barton; and Kristine Glunde, Ph.D.; published an article titled “Pneumatically Sprayed Gold Nanoparticles for Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Neurotransmitters,” in the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. They demonstrated a simple citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) approach for the for the ionization of neurotransmitters that enhances laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry and “provides a fast, high-spatial resolution method for simultaneous detection of a class of molecules that typically evade comprehensive detection with traditional matrixes.”
Dr. Stumpo, McLaughlin, Bielinski, Dr. Glunde, and Dr. Tressler have a patent pending for their “Method of Comprehensive Neurotransmitter Detection using Citrate-Capped AuNPs for Imaging Mass Spectrometry.”
Dr. Stumpo also published a chapter titled “Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Neurotransmitters,” in Mass Spectrometry, edited by Goran Mitulovic, in InTechOpen in 2020. The chapter explored previous and up-and-coming techniques for maximizing the detection of neurotransmitters in mass spectrometry imaging.
McLaughlin is pursuing a Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis and Bielinski is applying for admission to medical school.
Dr. Stumpo joined the faculty at Scranton in 2015. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a Ph.D. from Texas A and M University.
