Analytical Scientist - Lipids on the Brain

Kim Ekroos, President of the International Lipidomics Society, shares how high-resolution ion mobility MS is transforming research into the lipidomics of neurodegenerative diseases

Lipids represent the most diverse set of molecules in human biology, with extremely heterogeneous underlying chemistry. For a long time, lipids were largely overlooked in research – but it has become increasingly clear that they have a significant role to play in human health and disease. As analytical tools have become more advanced over the years, we have seen the lipidomics field boom. However, there are still many questions about the exact role this huge diversity of compounds plays in the body.

High-resolution ion mobility MS (HRIM-MS) offers researchers an exciting insight into the structural details of lipids and the impact of altered metabolite pathways on the pathogenesis of many diseases. Measuring such alterations and understanding the pathways involved is crucial to fully understanding cellular metabolism. Here, Kim Ekroos takes us through his work in the field of lipidomics and explains how an emerging HRIM-MS technique based on structures for lossless ion manipulation (SLIM) technology is enabling him to dissect the metabolic glycosphingolipid map in Parkinson’s disease (PD).