Research Interests
The Perry Lab develops mass spectrometry technologies to investigate complex chemical and biological systems. Our work explores areas such as molecular catalysis, noncovalent interactions, and challenges at the chemical–biological interface. We are particularly interested in creating analytical tools that deepen our understanding of the molecular foundations of human disease and address pressing environmental problems. Key drivers of our research include innovative ionization techniques, advances in molecular modeling and computational chemistry, and novel strategies for sample preparation and analysis. To learn more about these tools and their applications, please explore the publications listed below and in the Publications section.
We develop mass spectrometric methods to elucidate the lipid composition of cancer cells, providing insight into the role of lipids in human diseases such as cancer.
- Heather M. Robison, Corryn E. Chini, Troy J. Comi, Seung Woo Ryu, Elaine Ognjanovski, and Richard H. Perry*, Identification of lipid biomarkers of metastatic potential and gene expression (HER2/p53) in human breast cancer cell cultures using ambient mass spectrometry, Anal. Bioanal. Chem., 2020, 412, 2949-2961.
Our lab utilizes computations tools such as density functional theory to study the structure and thermodynamics of chemical reactions and systems. These studies provide a theoretical understanding that facilitate the design of new devices for chemical detection and support experimental observations.
- Richard H. Perry*, Theoretical study of the adsorption of analgesic environmental pollutants on pristine and nitrogen-doped graphene nanosheets, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2021, 23, 1221-1233.