Discoveries Archives - Bright Giant

Discoveries

Decoding the influence of gut microbiota on drug efficacy with SIRIUS

In pharmacology, one of the most significant challenges is the variability in how patients respond to the same drug. While factors like genetics and lifestyle are known to play a role, emerging research points to a hidden player: the human gut microbiota. This vast community of trillions of microbes is an active participant in our health, influencing everything from nutrient absorption to the efficacy of our medications. Using advanced computational tools like SIRIUS to analyze mass spectrometry data, researchers investigated how gut microbiota alter the chemical structure of GPCR drugs.

Franziska Hufsky 2025-12-02 No Comments

Discoveries

SIRIUS in the Jena Experiment: It’s a Battle for Resources, Not a Break from Pests

In a biodiverse ecosystem, it’s often assumed that plants have safety in numbers—that a mix of species will confuse pests and dilute disease pressure, allowing individual plants to save energy on defences and focus on growth. But is this ecological truism always the case? A recent study from the long-running Jena Experiment uses untargeted metabolomics and SIRIUS for feature annotation and compound class prediction. They found that for many plants in a diverse community it is less about relaxing their defences and more about adapting to intense competition for light and nutrients.

Franziska Hufsky 2025-11-18 No Comments

Discoveries

SIRIUS in Space: The ISS metabolome

As we prepare for longer human missions beyond Earth, understanding the invisible ecosystems of space habitats has become critical for astronaut health. The International Space Station (ISS) is not just a home and laboratory—it is also a closed microbial and chemical environment unlike anything on Earth. This study mapped the ISS microbiome and metabolome in unprecedented detail, uncovering its vast chemical “dark matter” using SIRIUS.

Franziska Hufsky 2025-11-11 No Comments

Discoveries

Uncovering Hidden Contaminants in Human Milk: Non-Targeted Biomonitoring with SIRIUS

Human milk is the ideal source of nutrition for infants, but growing concerns exist about the presence of chemical contaminants that can find their way into it. For years, scientists have relied on targeted analysis, a method that can only find what they are already looking for. In this non-targeted approach utilizing SIRIUS, researcher successfully identify common and previously unreported chemical contaminants and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the chemical exposures mothers and infants face.

Franziska Hufsky 2025-10-22 No Comments

Collaborations

How to Constrain the Molecular Structure Search Space with Chemical Labeling

Unlocking the chemical ‘dark matter’ in metabolomics is a persistent challenge. A new approach addresses this by integrating derivatisation reactions for chemical labeling directly into the mass spectrometry workflow. It provides crucial structural information which is fed into small molecule annotation tools like SIRIUS to significantly constrain the molecular structure search space and boost annotation accuracy, even for previously undiscovered compounds. This powerful approach offers a scalable solution to unlock the vast, uncharted chemical space of the metabolome.

Franziska Hufsky 2025-09-15 No Comments

Collaborations

Unlocking a Greater Perspective: Mapping the Chemical Space of Biomes Using SIRIUS

Untargeted mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for analyzing the immense chemical complexity of natural environments. However, interpreting such large datasets remains a significant challenge. To overcome this, researchers have developed an innovative approach using SIRIUS that prioritizes chemical profiling over exhaustive identification. This method allows for more effective comparisons of (micro-)biomes, providing deeper insights into biochemical diversity across different environments.

Franziska Hufsky 2025-02-13 No Comments

Discoveries

a-MAIZE-ing: Sustainable Pest Control Investigated with SIRIUS

Agriculture has always been a dance with nature, requiring farmers to constantly adapt to changing conditions. One particularly promising method that has emerged over recent decades is push-pull technology, a strategy that uses nature’s own defenses to protect crops and boost yields. Using SIRIUS, researchers uncovered metabolites in push-pull maize that enhance its natural defense against pests.

Franziska Hufsky 2024-10-28 No Comments

Assorted liquor bottles in a bar. Plastic-related contaminants in liquor products were even found in glass packaging.

Discoveries

Screening extractables and leachables with SIRIUS: Plastic-related contaminants in liquor products

In a world where we’re becoming increasingly conscious of what we consume, understanding the potential presence of unexpected extractables and leachables in our food and drinks is paramount. Alcoholic beverages are of particular concern due to their increased affinity and extended storage periods. A non-targeted approach to analysis is essential for uncovering both known and unknown contaminants in our drinks. By analysing fragmentation patterns, SIRIUS predicts chemical structures of unknowns to identify unexpected contaminants and ensure safety of our food.

Franziska Hufsky 2024-09-30 No Comments

Discoveries

Thawing permafrost: Another step towards assessing the consequences

Thawing permafrost, caused by climate change, releases stored carbon into the atmosphere, accelerating global warming. The enzyme latch hypothesis suggests that low-oxygen conditions in wetlands slow down enzymatic polyphenol degradation and carbon release. But are oxygen-dependent phenol oxidases really the only enzymes that microbial communities have in their arsenal? Or should we perhaps take a closer (metatranscriptomic and metabolomic) look at the microbially catalysed carbon cycle?

Franziska Hufsky 2024-06-06 No Comments