Dr J. Meurs (Joris)

Researcher - Analytical Chemistry & Chemometrics

Contact

Working days Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Volatile organic compound sampling
Thermal desorption
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Proton Transfer Reaction-Time-of-Flight - Mass Spectrometry
Mass spectrometry data processing
Statistical analysis

Research group

Life Science Trace Detection Laboratory

Tags: Thermal desorption, VOC, Volatile Organic Compounds, Mass Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography

Publications

Key publications

Meurs, J., Sakkoula, E. & Cristescu, S. Real-time non-invasive monitoring of short-chain fatty acids in exhaled breath. Front. Chem. 424 (2022). Full text
Meurs, J. et al. Sequential Orbitrap Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis-Tandem Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics for Prediction of Brain Tumor Relapse from Sample-Limited Primary Tissue Archives. Anal. Chem. 93, 6947–6954 (2021). Full text
Nasir, A. et al. Discovery of a Novel Polymer for Xeno‐Free, Long‐Term Culture of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Expansion. Adv. Healthc. Mater. 10, 2001448 (2021). Full text
Meurs, J., Krap, T. & Duijst, W. Evaluation of postmortem biochemical markers: Completeness of data and assessment of implication in the field. Sci. Justice 59, (2019). Full text
Meurs, J. et al. Improved Extraction Repeatability and Spectral Reproducibility for Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis–Mass Spectrometry Using Superhydrophobic–Superhydrophilic Patterning. Anal. Chem. 90, 6001–6005 (2018). Full text

Publication lists

More information:

H index: 6

Projects

2022 - 2023 VOCSENSE: Towards smart soil sensing to expedite the transition to a greener agriculture With a growing population, soil health is increasingly important. However, past land use intensification, including fertilizer and pesticide use has significantly aggravated soil biotic diversity and functioning. Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from soil could be promising to monitor soil biological health. The unique profile of soil VOCs can be linked to soil microbial community composition and concurrent soil biological health. The current challenge is to link VOC profiles to soil health parameters that can be used by farmers. The VOCSENSE team will deliver step-change research on the fundamental relationships between soil biodiversity, VOCs and soil health parameters, to guide farmers in sustainable decision making.
2022 - 2023 Scent of killer: do malaria parasites produce and sense organic volatile compounds? Despite decades of elimination efforts malaria remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. Malaria is caused by unicellular, eukaryotic parasites, which have a complex life cycle. Communication between parasites and between the parasite and its hosts could be exploited both for intervention and diagnostic purposes, and very few molecules involved in such communication have been identified. This project explores the relevance of volatile compounds in the biology of malaria parasite. Do volatile compounds influence parasite growth, development or gene expression? Success of this project could offer exciting new opportunities for the development of breath-based diagnostic devices for malaria.
2022 - 2028 Many (animal) diseases are accompanied by the release of volatile substances that form a specific odour. As a result, it regularly happens that veterinarians visit a livestock farm and can already make a diagnosis on entering the stable based on the smell they perceive. In this project, researchers from universities and colleges, together with companies and institutions have joined a consortium to develop a sensor that can detect these odors and thus warn the farmer at an early stage of a possible outbreak. Different sensor platforms and different chemical material functionalization strategies will be compared and the best combinations will be used for further development. Analytical methods will be employed at RU to analyze extensively the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) related to the disease odor. We aim to study the relation between the VOCs and disease and investigate the possibility to use these VOCs as biomarkers for early detection. These data will be used in the development
2020 - 2027 The goal is to develop and integrate fundamental knowledge from the biological, technical, and social sciences for the next generation of sustainable agricultural systems, based on the new concept of “technology-4-ecology-based farming” (T4E-farming). This is a national partnership between five Dutch universities (WUR-coordinator, TU Eindhoven, TU Delft, University of Twente, and Radboud University), technology and innovation centre OnePlanet, TiFN (top institute Food & Nutrition), and various parties from the business community. The consortium will perform research in three case studies: greenhouse horticulture, dairy farming, and arable farming. Radboud University is represented by our group in dairy farming case study. We shall use our expertise in spectroscopy and breath analysis and contribute with the development of an optical sensor for (real-time) monitoring of methane emission in exhaled breath of cows, next to other relevant volatile compounds.
2018 - 2023 NUTRISHIELD: Fact-based personalised nutrition for the young NUTRISHIELD is an EU funded H2020 project. NUTRISHIELD aims at creating a personalised platform for the young. The platform will consist of novel methods & techniques, which analyse a wide range of biomarkers related to nutrition and health disorders. Based on findings, the platform then uses ICT, by expanding existing nutrition assistive mobile apps, in order to provide feedback and steering people towards a better nutrition. This takes into account the way each person responds to different nutrients and food types, by also analysing phenotype, genome expression, microbiome composition, health condition, mental & psychological condition, as well as financial capabilities for procuring food. More information