Joseph A. Loo will be presented with the 2021 Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS) Award for Outstanding Achievements in Mass Spectrometry at the EAS Symposium taking place November 15–17, 2021, in Plainsboro, New Jersey.
Joseph A. Loo
The annual EAS awards honor analytical chemists who have distinguished career achievements and who have advanced their fields by superior work in developing theory, techniques, or instrumentation.
Loo is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Biological Chemistry (the David Geffen School of Medicine ) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is also a member of the UCLA Department of Energy Institute for Genomics and Proteomics and the UCLA Molecular Biology Institute. He received his BS in chemistry from Clarkson University and his PhD in chemistry from Cornell University. He was a postdoctoral fellow and senior research scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Prior to joining UCLA in 2001, Loo was an Associate Research Fellow at Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research, with Pfizer.
Loo’s research group uses and develops new mass spectrometry (MS) and proteomics strategies, including top-down MS (TDMS), native MS, ion mobility MS (IM-MS), and label-free quantification methods, to characterize proteins and protein complexes (and their proteoforms) and for the elucidation of protein biomarkers to aid human health studies. Loo focuses on the importance of post-translational modifications, such as lysine acylation, to regulate enzymes and metabolic processes within microbial consortia.
Loo has published more than 330 papers and book chapters. He is on the editorial boards of several scientific journals, including Mass Spectrometry Reviews and Clinical Proteomics. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. Additionally, Loo has held leadership and advisory positions with scientific organizations, including the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) and the US Human Proteome Organization (US HUPO), and his research has been supported by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the US Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).
New AI-Powered Raman Spectroscopy Method Enables Rapid Drug Detection in Blood
February 10th 2025Scientists from China and Finland have developed an advanced method for detecting cardiovascular drugs in blood using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and artificial intelligence (AI). This innovative approach, which employs "molecular hooks" to selectively capture drug molecules, enables rapid and precise analysis, offering a potential advance for real-time clinical diagnostics.
Detection of Microplastics in Bottled Water Using Raman Microspectroscopy
February 10th 2025Spectroscopy sat down with Oskar Hagelskjaer, Founder and CEO of Microplastic Solution, to discuss his latest study whose findings challenge EU Directive 2020/2184 regarding microplastic detection in potable water.
Developing a Handheld Fiber-Optic Tissue Sensing Device for Spine Surgery
February 10th 2025A recent study proposed a compact, cost-effective, handheld fiber-optic device using simplified DRS technology to track the accuracy of pedicle screw placement in spinal fusion procedures. Spectroscopy spoke to Merle Losch, corresponding author for the paper resulting from this study, about the device and the team’s efforts to produce it.