Our research focuses on the methodological/instrumental and application-oriented advancement of imaging matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS imaging) and the analysis of glycoconjugates using electrospray ionization (ESI).

A traditional feature of the working group is the close interconnection between fundamental physical and physicochemical investigations of mass spectrometric methods, instrumental developments, and the exploration of current new fields of application in biomedical research. 

The post-ionization-based MALDI-2 and transmission (t)-MALDI-2 techniques, recently introduced by us, now allow to investigate the chemical heterogeneity of individual cells in tissue and cell cultures with high spatial resolution down to the submicrometer range in terms of their metabolite and lipid profiles. In our current development work, we are supplementing this with the completely novel integration of classical fluorescence microscopy and other spectroscopic methods in a single device platform. 

In numerous application-oriented collaborations with partners from research and industry, we are further developing these techniques to gain new molecular insights into biomedical issues. For example, cell growth in cancer tissues and bacterial biofilms can be investigated in new ways using correlative methods. 

A second aspect of our research is the analysis of glycoconjugates and carbohydrate-binding molecules (lectins) using mass spectrometry-based techniques and methods such as tandem MS or ion mobility separation.