What’s Your Task as a PhD, Kaja?

New Ionisation Method: From Open Questions to Closed Plasma

Mass spectrometry only works with electrically charged, i.e. ionised, particles. Researchers often use plasma for this purpose. In a series of publications, scientists from the Miniaturisation Research Group have shed new light on this ionisation method and presented a completely new type of plasma. This does not require a continuous gas flow and is therefore particularly resource-efficient.

“We essentially ask ourselves the same questions”

In the ISAS cooperation project “The Secret World of the Immune System”, ISAS researchers and artists from the storyLab kiU at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts brought microscope data to life in an immersive space. Lennart Oberscheidt, research associate and visual effects (VFX) supervisor at storyLab kiU, talks about the special features of the project and the similarities between art and research in an interview.

What Can't Be Missing From Your Project, Laxmikanth Kollipara?

In many research projects, there is one thing that is essential for success. Perhaps a rare sample or a special device? For Dr Laxmikanth Kollipara, that one thing is a very special pillar from the PIPMet project.

“Moving to ISAS changed my whole view on mass spectrometry”

Prof Dr Miloš Filipović is researching the connection between ageing processes and gasotransmitter signalling pathways, in particular hydrogen sulphide. The biochemist headed the ERC Sulfaging group at ISAS from October 2020 until February 2025, at which point he was appointed to the University of Glasgow in Scotland. In this interview, he looks back on the past four and a half years in Dortmund and talks about his experiences at ISAS.

Humboldt Fellow Prof Dr Xiaowei Xu started at ISAS in March

Prof Dr Xiaowei Xu from the Chinese Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute is researching the clinical application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of cardiovascular diseases. For 18 months in total, he will be researching various AI methods for analysing cell images as a Humboldt Fellow at ISAS.

Valuable Connections: Dr Mohammad Ibrahim AlWahsh

Dr Mohammad Ibrahim AlWahsh worked as a research assistant at ISAS during his doctorate. He is now Vice Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Assistant Professor of Toxicological Pathology at Al-Zaytoonah University in Jordan. In the Kompakt series ‘Valuable Connections,’ he reports on his time at ISAS and his ongoing network with the institute.

Bacteria & Sweets: Schoolgirls Examine their Breath at the Girls’ Day

On Girls' Day 2025, twelve schoolgirls got to know the work of researchers and technical assistants at the institute. They investigated the cause of and fight against inflammation, went on the hunt for bacteria and used ion mobility spectrometry to analyze the aromatic substances of various sweets in their breath.

Valuable Connections: Dr Jianxu Chen

Dr Jianxu Chen leads the junior research group AMBIOM - Analysis of Microscopic BIOMedical Images at ISAS since 2021. He previously worked at the Allen Institute for Cell Science in Seattle, USA. In the ISAS -Kompakt series ‘Valuable Connections’, the computer scientist reports on his move to health research and to Germany.

Two-step Analysis is a Thing of the Past Thanks to Innovative Mass Spectrometry

Fast and accurate mass spectrometric detection of non-polar substances such as cholesterol together with polar substances? And in just one analysis run? This is made possible by a new combination method that unites two ionization sources in one setup.