Calendar of Events

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of MN

"Beyond Mass Measurement: Using Mass Spectrometry to Probe Biomolecular Structure and Stability in the Gas Phase"

Official/Unofficial Bio

Rapid advancements in structural biology have enabled remarkable elucidation of three-dimensional biomolecular structures, providing valuable insights into structure-function relationships. However, current structure determination techniques impose stringent sample purity requirements, limiting characterization to "well-behaved" biomolecules that exhibit chemical and structural homogeneity. As a result, several essential biomolecular classes remain inaccessible due to their inherent heterogeneity. To bridge this gap, there is a critical need for bioanalytical tools capable of analyzing complex and intractable biomolecules while elucidating their structural properties. This seminar will highlight the Gadkari Research Group’s efforts to develop mass spectrometry-based methods for characterizing biomolecules that have long posed analytical challenges and remain elusive to conventional structural biology approaches. Building on expertise in native mass spectrometry, the group is advancing gas-phase methods and integrating them with machine learning models to detect stress-induced structural changes in biotherapeutic antibodies. Additionally, we are developing charge detection mass spectrometry to characterize biotherapeutic proteins and nucleic acids in the megadalton mass range. Through the development of innovative mass spectrometry techniques, the group’s research seeks to expand the reach of structural biology, enabling the characterization of biomolecules previously deemed intractable.

**This seminar counts towards the chemistry major seminar attendance requirement.