Chemistry/BCMB Research Seminar

Jeffrey M. Spraggins (CHEM, ‘03), Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

• Director, Associate Professor, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology
• Director, Mass Spectrometry Research Center
• Director, Biomolecular Multimodal Imaging Center School of Medicine

From Molecules to Maps: Technologies for Building Molecular Atlases with Mass Spectrometry

Modern instrumentation and computing capabilities have enabled researchers to move beyond reductionist biology and, instead, probe how the components of biological entities (e.g., molecules, cells, and tissues) interact to reveal the underlying biology of disease. Molecular imaging offers a ‘blueprint’ for how key biological components work together by providing spatial context to molecular information. The Spraggins Laboratory specializes in developing integrated imaging mass spectrometry technologies to create multimodal workflows that provide a systems biology view of tissue at cellular resolution, revealing relationships between metabolites, lipids, proteins, and RNA across spatial scales – from anatomical regions to single cells. In this lecture, Dr. Spraggins will highlight recent technological advancements in spatial biology and how his team is applying these integrated approaches to the study of normal aging and disease.