Julia Laskin

Active Mentor - currently hosting PULSe students for laboratory rotations and recruiting PULSe students into the laboratory; serves on preliminary exam committees

Current Research Interests:

My group is developing state-of-the-art instrumentation for molecular imaging of lipids, metabolites, and proteins in biological samples using mass spectrometry. In particular, we have developed a novel ionization method (nano-DESI), which enables sensitive and quantitative imaging of hundreds of biomolecules in tissue sections with high spatial resolution. We also develop tools for imaging isomeric lipids and metabolites, which cannot be distinguished based on their mass alone. The experimental techniques are combined with deep learning and dimensionality reduction tools to obtain a concise representation of the vast experimental data. We apply these tools to both healthy and diseased mammalian tissues to explore molecular signatures of aging, neurodegenerative diseases, embryo implantation in healthy and aberrant pregnancy, and other processes. We are involved in many productive collaborations with biologists who provide us with relevant samples.

Selected Publications:

Unsihuay, D., Su, P., Hu, H., Qiu, J., Kuang, S., Li, Y., Sun, X., Dey, S. K., & Laskin, J. (2021). Imaging and Analysis of Isomeric Unsaturated Lipids through Online Photochemical Derivatization of Carbon–Carbon Double Bonds. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 60(14), 7559–7563. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202016734

Hu, H., Yin, R., Brown, H. M., & Laskin, J. (2021). Spatial Segmentation of Mass Spectrometry Imaging Data by Combining Multivariate Clustering and Univariate Thresholding. Analytical Chemistry, 93 (7), 3477-3485 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04798

Li, X., Yin, R., Hu, H., Li, Y., Sun, X., Dey, S. K., & Laskin, J. (2020). An Integrated Microfluidic Probe for Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Biological Samples. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 59(50), 22388–22391. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202006531

Yin, K. E. Burnum-Johnson, X. Sun, S. K. Dey, J. Laskin “High Spatial Resolution Imaging of Biological Tissues Using Nanospray Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry”, Nat. Protocols 14, 3445-3470 (2019). DOI:10.1038/s41596-019-0237-4 R.

Yin, J. Kyle, K. Burnum-Johnson, K. Bloodsworth, L. Sussel, C. Ansong, J. Laskin “High Spatial Resolution Imaging of Mouse Pancreatic Islets Using Nanospray Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry”, Analytical Chemistry, 90, 6548–6555 (2018). DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b00161

J. Laskin, I. Lanekoff "Ambient Mass Spectrometry Imaging Using Direct Liquid Extraction Techniques", Anal. Chem. (Invited Review), 88, 52–73 (2016). DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b04188