University of Toledo

NSF Awards UToledo Nearly $1M for High-Resolution MALDI-MS to Advance Drug Development and Disease Research

- The National Science Foundation awarded Dr. Kristin Kirschbaum and colleagues at the University of Toledo nearly $1 million to acquire a state-of-the-art MALDI mass spectrometer with high-speed imaging capability. - The new instrument offers a ten-fold increase in spatial resolution over the model it replaces, enabling mass spectrometry imaging that reveals both molecular composition and spatial location within samples. - Researchers expect the instrument to facilitate work in cancer, cardiovascular disease, drug development, and tissue engineering, alongside environmental challenges such as microplastic pollution. - The device features remote-access capabilities and will serve as the centerpiece of the SCOPE outreach program, which has reached more than 10,000 students since 2011.