Michael Freitas
Contact Information
Professor, Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology
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Education
- PhD, Chemistry, Kansas State University of Agriculture & Applied Sciences
- BS, Chemistry, Oklahoma State University
My research focuses on developing and applying advanced mass spectrometry–based technologies to understand biological systems at the molecular level. A central theme of my work is the characterization and sequencing of complex biomolecules—including proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, and their chemical modifications—using high-resolution LC-MS/MS coupled with innovative computational methods.
My laboratory integrates experimental mass spectrometry with algorithm development, statistical modeling, and machine learning to improve how molecular features are detected, identified, and quantitatively interpreted. We are particularly interested in problems where traditional sequencing or analysis approaches struggle, such as modified RNAs, conjugated biomolecules, overlapping isotopic distributions, and highly heterogeneous samples.
Biologically, our work spans cancer biology, metabolism, and emerging RNA-based therapeutics, with an emphasis on linking molecular structure to biological function and mechanism. In parallel, we develop scalable, cloud-native data analysis platforms to support reproducible, collaborative, and data-intensive multi-omics research.
My laboratory integrates experimental mass spectrometry with algorithm development, statistical modeling, and machine learning to improve how molecular features are detected, identified, and quantitatively interpreted. We are particularly interested in problems where traditional sequencing or analysis approaches struggle, such as modified RNAs, conjugated biomolecules, overlapping isotopic distributions, and highly heterogeneous samples.
Biologically, our work spans cancer biology, metabolism, and emerging RNA-based therapeutics, with an emphasis on linking molecular structure to biological function and mechanism. In parallel, we develop scalable, cloud-native data analysis platforms to support reproducible, collaborative, and data-intensive multi-omics research.