Editorial [Hot Topic: New Frontiers in Biological Mass Spectrometry(Guest Editor: Francesco L. Brancia)]

Although rooted in physics, today mass spectrometry (MS) has become an irreplaceable tool for scientists to study the mechanisms of elemental and molecular processes occurring in nature. Due to novel MS configurations and ionisation methods, the last two decades have witnessed rapid and extensive utilisation of mass spectrometry for qualitative and quantitative purposes. Among several research fields, combinatorial chemistry has benefited from the latest MS developments by providing innovative approaches for structural characterisation of library components. However, the high sensitivity required to detect low abundance biomolecular species together with the high mass accuracy/resolving power necessary for enhancing selectivity in analysis still represent major challenges for any new development in mass spectrometry. In addition, advances in mass analysers and hardware configurations together with novel ionisation methods must also be followed by improvements in software at both the control and processing levels. Only then, more robust mass spectrometers with higher levels of automation and throughput can be delivered. Through the reviews appearing in this special issue of Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening, we summarise the state-of-art of biological mass spectrometry. This issue brings together scientific leaders in their disciplines who approach the problems arising in mass spectrometry from different perspectives and provides a clear picture of instrumentation and applications in MS including advantages and limitations for the analysis of biomolecules. In the review by Sara Crotti and Pietro Traldi, principles of the novel atmospheric pressure ionisation techniques DESI and SACI are described including their relevance for drug analysis and metabolic profiling. Recent developments in time-of-flight (ToF) geometries for MALDI tandem mass spectrometry are reviewed by Ernst Pittenauer and Gunter Allmaier highlighting the most recent applications with various biomolecules. Simona Francese and collaborators offer a thorough summary of MALDI profiling and imaging mass spectrometry for biological tissue analysis. The impact on peptide sequencing using gas-phase fragmentation of post-translationally modified and derivatized peptides during multistage tandem mass spectrometry are addressed in the review by Jennifer Froelich and Gavin Reid. Hyphenation with liquid chromatography and the most recent developments in micro/nanoliquid chromatography interfaced with MALDI and electrospray ionisation for proteomics applications are discussed in the review by Jessica Bereszczak and Francesco Brancia. James Wright and Simon Hubbard summarise the current challenges that bioinformatics must tackle due to the high volume of complex data generated from large scale proteomics experiments. The current mass spectrometry based methods in being used to understand and characterise noncovalent protein complexes by means of electrospray ionisation are discussed by Bryan McCullogh and Simon Gaskell. Finally William Griffiths and Yuqin Wang present an overview on steroidomics in the study of neurodegenerative disease and ageing from a mass spectrometry perspective. As reported here, mass spectrometry is growing rapidly towards new directions especially for peptide/protein analysis and related research fields. This special issue provides a detailed depiction of developments/applications in mass spectrometry, which can subsequently be applied to enhance drug target identification.