Francisco Alberto Fernandez-Lima

Research Areas

Advanced Mass Spectrometry Facility

• Characterization of the chemical environment at the single cell and sub-cellular level of model cell systems and tissue sections using a "molecular microscope".
• Development of new generation instrumentation and methodologies for biomedical and behavioral research, with emphasis in gas-phase, post-ionization separations, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and new surface probes for mass spectrometry-based molecular imaging.

Our current and future research is focused on the development of new generation instrumentation and methodologies for biomedical and behavioral research. In particular, our group is interested in the characterization of the chemical environment at the single cell and sub-cellular level of model cell systems and tissue sections using a "molecular microscope".

There are two main challenges in the molecular characterization of native surfaces: the quantity of sample available for analysis and the dynamic mass range. The long-term goal of our work is to develop nanometer probes for mass spectrometry-based imaging for the study at the single cell and sub-cellular level of "native state" biological surfaces with: i) enhanced lateral resolution, ii) enhanced emission of molecular ions and iii) fast gas-phase, post-ionization separation techniques.

This integrated approach involves the instrument development and optimization of sample-friendly conditions for the generation of the molecular ions of interest, the design and generation of MS imaging calibration procedures and standards, the incorporation of high-throughput post-ionization separation and fragmentation techniques, the analysis of the gas-phase conformational space of molecular ions, and the characterization of the chemical environment at the single cell and sub-cellular level of model biological systems.

Shipping Address:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Scientific Receiving CP-312
11200 SW 8 Street
Miami, FL 33199