Prof. A. Daniel (Dan) Jones

MANA Members
Written By Arpana Vaniya

Prof. Jones is a distinguished figure in metabolomics, holding a B.S. from Harvey Mudd College and a Ph.D. from Penn State University. Currently a Professor at Michigan State University, he has led the Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics Core since 2005, while also serving as Associate Director at the MSU Center for PFAS Research. Prof. Jones played a pivotal role as the founding Secretary of MANA (2017-2021) and was recognized as an AAAS Fellow in 2021. With expertise in mass spectrometry and a passion for addressing environmental challenges, he is at the forefront of advancing metabolomics research and application. Currently, Prof. Jones is a committee member of the MANA Educational Resources committee.

We asked Prof. Jones the following questions and here’s what he had to say:

1) What are some grand challenges you face in metabolomics?

  1. Inadequate resolution of isomers including unknowns

  2. Dynamic range limits hinder adequately capturing low-level compounds in exposomes and metabolomes

  3. Costs hinder sampling of more populations, time points, treatments, and genotypes

  4. Challenges integrating metabolomes with genetic, epigenetic, and environmental variation

  5. Limited knowledge about chemicals in foods/consumer products

2) Where do you see the field in 10 years?

I hope to see:

  1. Larger databases of MS/MS, CCS, chromatographic retention index, and perhaps additional dimensions of information

  2. Greater successes, despite biological variability, to turn metabolome/lipidome/exposome data into biological mechanistic meaning

  3. Increased awareness that metabolome regulation and dynamics are far more complex than we think today.    

Arpana Vaniya