Current Research
My graduate research focuses primarily on improvements in trace metal analysis and speciation for biological applications. In complex matrices, such as those found in biological samples, analytical accuracy can be adversely affected. Internal standardization is commonly employed to improve precision on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers (ICP-MS) but is also capable of improving analytical accuracy, provided that an optimal internal standard is used. Evaluation experiments suggest that a poorly chosen internal standard can yield a larger error in concentration than using no internal standard, thus exemplifying the necessity of careful internal standard selection. A thorough statistical analysis was conducted to determine the relative importance of similarities in chemical property (i.e. mass) and analyte/internal standard performance. An internal standard prediction program was developed for the purposes of choosing an optimal internal standard. This program was tested over re-optimizations and on a completely different ICP-MS instrument to illustrate broad based applicability of the approach. Paper has been submitted for publication.
The speciation aspect of my research attempts to rapidly determine a cell’s metallome. It utilizes the technique of laser ablation ICP-MS with offline polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). We are seeking to determine the association between protein and metal with a focus on the equilibrium within such a relationship. Equilibrium constants play a large role in determining whether or not a metal remains bound to a protein after protein separation and must be considered in fabrication of the PAGE buffer. We are currently exploring the use of electroblotting onto quartz fiber filters after separation. Electroblotting concentrates the protein onto the surface of a substrate, and thus enhances sensitivity. The benefit in quartz fiber filters, specifically, lies in our ability to modify these surfaces with various metal binding peptides. We have also successfully used these quartz fiber filters as matrix-matched standards, which is mandate in laser ablation ICP-MS if semi-quantitative or quantitative data are to be gathered.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Finley-Jones, Haley J.; Molloy, John L.; Holcombe, James A. Choosing internal standards based on a multivariate analysis approach with ICP(TOF)MS. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry (2008), 23(9), 1214-1222.
- Finley-Jones, Haley J.; Holcombe, James A. Evaluation of Internal Standard Prediction Across Instrumental Platforms in Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry (Submitted for Publication).
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Undergraduate Research
My undergraduate research focused on metal content determination in tattoo ink. I spent two summers working for Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque. There, I conducted molecular dynamics simulations of metal/oxide interfaces.
Poster Presentations
- Finley-Jones, Haley J.; Molloy, John L.; Holcombe, James A. Choosing internal standards based on a multivariate analysis approach with ICP(TOF)MS. Abstracts of Papers, 2008 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochmistry, Temecula, CA, United States, January 7-12, 2008.
- Criscenti, Louise J.; Finley-Jones, H. J.; Moffat, H. K.; Cygan, R. T. Atmospheric corrosion of Al-oxyhydroxide films by NaCl droplets. Abstracts of Papers, 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, United States, March 25-29, 2007 (2007), ENVR-055.
- Criscenti, Louise J.; Finley-Jones, Haley J.; Cygan, Randall T.; Moffat, Harry K. Atmospheric corrosion of Al-oxyhydroxide films by NaCl droplets. Preprints of Extended Abstracts presented at the ACS National Meeting, American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry (2007), 47(1), 644-647.
- Criscenti, Louise J.; Finley-Jones, Haley. Calculated alkaline earth metal complexation in aqueous solutions and to gibbsite surfaces. Abstracts of Papers, 231st ACS National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, United States, March 26-30, 2006 (2006), PHYS-508.
- Finley-Jones, Haley. Quantitative metals analysis of tattoo inks. Abstracts of Papers, 231st ACS National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, United States, March 26-30, 2006 (2006), ANYL-108.
- Finley-Jones, Haley; Wagner, Leslie D.; Ingram, Jani C. In the flesh: Chemical characterization of tattoo inks. Abstracts of Papers, 229th ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA, United States, March 13-17, 2005 (2005), ANYL-248.
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