Dr. Francisco A. Fernandez-Lima's laboratory has established a nationally and internationally recognized research program centered on the development and application of advanced mass spectrometry platforms, with a particular emphasis on trapped ion mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry (TIMS-MS). His work has had a sustained impact not only through scientific discovery, but also through the creation of analytical capabilities and service infrastructure that enable metabolomics, proteomics, and epigenomics research across disciplines.
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Get in TouchA defining component of Fernandez-Lima’s laboratory is the development of state-of-the-art mass spectrometry capabilities that function as shared research infrastructure. His contributions to TIMS technology have significantly increased mobility resolving power and analytical sensitivity, enabling structural characterization of complex biomolecules beyond the limits of conventional MS platforms. These advances have been translated into facility-level capabilities that support a wide range of users, including chemists, biologists, clinicians, and environmental scientists.
Through integration with complementary techniques such as FT-ICR MS, TOF-MS, and surface-based ionization methods, his laboratory has created a multimodal analytical environment that supports:
Fernandez-Lima’s Lab has significantly advanced proteomics and epigenomics workflows, particularly through improvements in ion mobility separation and fragmentation strategies. TIMS-MS platforms developed and applied in his group enable:
These methodologies are not confined to individual projects but have been implemented as service pipelines, allowing collaborators to access advanced proteomics and epigenomics analyses without requiring in-house instrumentation expertise.
Fernandez-Lima’s Lab has also had strong impact in metabolomics and small-molecule characterization, particularly through the application of high-resolution ion mobility separations. TIMS-MS platforms developed and applied in his group enable:
These capabilities support both discovery-based metabolomics and targeted biomarker detection, including applications in disease models and therapeutic response studies.
A hallmark of Fernandez-Lima’s Lab is the translation of instrumentation advances into collaborative, application-driven research. His publication record includes projects such as:
These projects demonstrate how his Lab and methodologies serve as enabling technologies for multidisciplinary teams, bridging analytical chemistry with biology, medicine, and environmental science.
Beyond direct collaborations, Fernandez-Lima Lab contributes to the broader scientific community through:
By lowering technical barriers and expanding access to advanced MS technologies, his Lab has effectively democratized high-resolution omics analysis, amplifying its impact across institutions and research domains.
This established culture of mentorship and scientific collaboration also provides a strong foundation for recruiting new collaborators and talented postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, undergraduate researchers, and high school students, extending a mentoring program that has already trained 15 completed PhD students, 13 postdoctoral scholars, 36 undergraduate researchers, 18 REU participants, and 10 high school students and creating a sustained pipeline for the next generation of scientists in mass spectrometry and multi-omics research.