About

Abraham Badu-Tawiah is the Robert K. Fox Professor of Chemistry at The Ohio State University, affiliated with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, followed by an M.S. in Chemistry from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Purdue University under the supervision of R. Graham Cooks, where he received multiple fellowships. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University under George M. Whitesides, he joined Ohio State University in July 2014. Dr. Badu-Tawiah's research focuses on analytical chemistry with particular emphasis on mass spectrometry. His research group develops new mass spectrometry tools aimed at making data acquisition and interpretation easier for non-experts, including surgeons, immunologists, and neuroscientists. His work includes creating chemical probes for analyzing proteins, antibodies, DNA, and disease biomarkers under ambient conditions. Additionally, his group studies organic and biomolecular reactions within micro-droplet environments to explore green catalysis and reaction mechanisms, as well as characterizing drug aerosols to improve aerosol therapy efficacy. Dr. Badu-Tawiah has received numerous awards, including the 2020 Sloan Fellowship, 2019 NIH MIRA for New Investigators Award, and the 2016 Department of Energy Early Career Award, recognizing his contributions to analytical chemistry and mass spectrometry.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Chromatography
• Computer science
• Medicine
• Combinatorial chemistry

Selected publications

• Author response for "Paper-Based Immunoassay with Signal Amplification for Sensitive Detection of Nucleocapsid Protein Toward the Diagnosis of Long COVID"

  2026-01-25

  peer-reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• A paper-based immunoassay with signal amplification for the sensitive detection of nucleocapsid protein toward the diagnosis of long COVID

  The Analyst · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Long COVID is characterized by persistent symptoms, including fatigue, cognitive impairment, and respiratory issues, affecting a considerable number of individuals post-infection. The underlying mechanism is not fully understood, but it has been proposed to involve the reactivation of virus, which subsequently induces immune dysregulation. In this proof-of-concept study, we developed a paper-based immunoassay for the detection of nucleocapsid (N) protein, which, due to its stability and low mutation rate, is a valuable biomarker for detecting the presence of residual virus. By utilizing reporter antibodies conjugated to cleavable ionic probes through dendrimer chemistry, we were able to analyze the immunoassay results with ambient mass spectrometry using on-chip paper spray ionization. The used dendrimer enhanced mass spectrometry sensitivity by enabling the attachment of multiple ionic probes to a single reporter antibody. The method presented here achieved a limit of detection of 2.4 pM for N protein detection from paper. Unlike traditional sensitive COVID tests that are only accessible to hospitalized individuals, our paper-based assay has potential to enable long COVID to be detected under resource-limited settings. Our method was applied to analyze 20 human plasma samples, including 10 from individuals with long COVID and 10 from healthy controls with no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We observed a significantly higher MS signal-by up to two orders of magnitude-for samples collected from long COVID patients compared to controls. The ability to use the paper device in remote locations was tested by evaluating the stability of the assay, which showed that after 30 days of storage at room temperature, the device retained sufficient analytical performance. Given its robustness, we believe that our platform will be suitable for direct-to-consumer testing, enabling individuals with low viral loads to be screened in a timely fashion.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Six-Membered Concerted Mechanism for CO ₂ Capture by Amines Studied under Charged Microdroplet Reaction Conditions

  Analytical Chemistry · 2026-04-22

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage represents an important technological challenge. A mechanistic understanding of interactions involved in the capture process is necessary not only for technological development but also for efficient conversion of captured CO2 into value-added materials. Herein, we present a novel contained secondary electrospray ionization platform for studying the interactions of gaseous amines and CO2 gas under microdroplet reaction conditions, which enables mass spectrometry (MS) characterization of CO2 capture products and intermediates in real time. We detected [2 M + CO2 + H]+ species, which corresponds to a six-membered intermediate. DFT calculations confirmed the high stability of the protonated six-membered ring intermediate. This finding provides a plausible concerted mechanism in the microdroplet environment that excludes the involvement of thermodynamically disfavored ionic species. The carbamic acid counterpart of the final product/salt was readily characterized by tandem MS. The carbamic acid/amine salt was also isolated and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. By virtue of the fact that headspace vapors of amines are sampled, we were able to establish a high-throughput platform that enabled the CO2 capture capacity of five different amines to be studied in under 2 min. The same device also enabled the absolute quantification of capture capacity.

  PublisherDOI

• Diagnosis On-Demand: Field Evaluation of Microfluidic Paper Device for the Detection of Asymptomatic Malaria

  Analytical Chemistry · 2025-05-12 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  We report a proof-of-concept surveillance strategy that combines simplicity with modest cost to achieve high analytical performance for the detection of asymptomatic malaria infection. We developed a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) that automates immunoassay using 30 μL of whole blood. A novel dendrimer-based signal transduction method was introduced to amplify the mass spectrometry (MS) signal. Our ability to detect an immunoassay signal with MS was achieved using cleavable ionic probes that were attached to monoclonal antibodies via dendrimer bioconjugation. The limit of detection of this MS-based immunoassay was determined to be 4.5 pM in serum for Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2. The high stability of the ionic probes allowed storage of the paper device at room temperature, facilitating field sampling of whole blood from 266 asymptomatic volunteers in Ghana. The performance of the μPAD platform was compared with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), light microscopy, and rapid diagnostic test (RDT). Using PCR as the reference, we observed 96.5% sensitivity for our μPAD platform, as opposed to 43% for RDT and 16.9% for microscopy. Cohen’s Kappa statistical analysis confirmed almost perfect agreement between μPAD and PCR (%agree = 81% in Kappa’s categorical terms). False-negative rate in μPAD was calculated to be 3.5%. These results highlight the need for a more sensitive tool for asymptomatic malaria screening. Our method is highly sensitive yet deliverable, making sustainable implementation possible in underserved communities.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A 2D Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Device for Diagnosis of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis via Mass Spectrometry-Based Immunoassay

  Analytical Chemistry · 2025-03-24 · 3 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  This work presents the first indirect immunoassay performed on a paper-based microfluidic platform for the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). The IgG antibody biomarker, which signifies the presence of this infectious disease, was captured with a recombinant K39 antigen and detected with secondary antibodies that were conjugated with cleavable ionic probes. The use of ionic probes enabled direct analysis of the assay results through an on-chip paper spray mass spectrometry (MS) technology. This MS-based immunoassay was developed to allow for early detection of CVL in asymptomatic dogs. The sensitivity required for such a diagnostic method was demonstrated through internal standard calibration in which sample dilution as low as 1/4000 was achieved. Aside from high sensitivity, the ionic probes are stable, which allowed the paper device to be stored at room temperature and under ambient conditions for 30 days without affecting the diagnostic outcome. Our method was used to analyze 20 clinical canine serum samples, where we detected a 2 orders of magnitude higher signal for CVL-positive samples compared to negative samples. MS signal derived from the 10 CVL-positive serum clinical samples showed a strong correlation with antibody titers determined by immunofluorescence assay. This correlation was confirmed through Pearson's statistical analysis. Overall, the high sensitivity and positive results from stability tests observed for our platform are expected to enable large-scale CVL screening in asymptomatic dogs in remote areas, especially when combined with portable mass spectrometers.

  PublisherDOI

• Heterogeneous Catalysis by Fullerene C ₆₀ : Photocatalytic Dehydro‐Dimerization of Primary Amines and Tetrahydroquinolines Studied Using Thread Spray Mass Spectrometry

  Small Methods · 2025-07-21

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract Removal of a catalyst after a catalytic process is a time‐consuming and challenging process. In this paper, a fullerene catalyst coated on cellulose thread is developed and applied it in a heterogeneous photoreaction screening via a thread spray mass spectrometry (MS) platform. The surface of the cellulose thread is modified with NH 2 groups, which subsequently allows immobilization of fullerene C 60 on the thread. The final fullerene functionalized thread is placed in a glass capillary and the solution of the reactant to be interrogated is added. The assembly of thread and glass capillary is placed in front of a mass spectrometer, which serves as an online photoreaction platform after a light source and direct current high voltage are applied. As an ambient ionization approach, the photocatalytic reaction screening platform enabled real‐time MS characterization of products and intermediates and using only nanomole quantities of reactants. Fullerene C 60 is identified to facilitate dehydro‐dimerization reactions from amines. Norharmane shows a unique photo‐oxygenated dimer formation. The functionalized threads immobilized with fullerene C 60 are reusable, confirming the heterogeneous nature of the platform. Thus, this system provided real‐time screening of reactions catalyzed by fullerene C 60 and a means to investigate the reaction mechanism.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• DEAE-cellulose based ultrathin layer chromatography – mass spectrometry for protein separation and characterization

  Analytica Chimica Acta · 2025-02-21 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Ultrathin layer chromatography is an efficient method that is fast and requires a small amount of sample for the separation. This method may be valuable in for the separation of biological samples in many different industries such as pharmaceutical analyses as well as clinical analyses. This is the first example of the use of nanofibers of DEAE-cellulose for UTLC for protein separations. This is combined with the detection of the proteins using paper spray ionization mass spectrometry . Protein and protein-complexes were readily separated and detected using the combination of these new separation and detection methods. This work illustrates the capability of DEAE-cellulose UTLC plates in protein separation and the feasibility of combining nanofiber UTLC with paper spray MS for further characterization. Successful characterization of both monomeric and complex proteins was obtained using this MS ionization methodology where charge state distributions of proteins showed effective performance of our UTLC separation procedure. • DEAE-cellulose nanofibers were fabricated and characterized as the stationary phase for UTLC. • Protein separation was conducted using gradient elution and the effects of salts were investigated. • Paper spray mass spectrometry was successfully conducted on the UTLC plate after separation.

  PublisherDOI

• Advances in Understanding Long COVID: Pathophysiological Mechanisms and the Role of Omics Technologies in Biomarker Identification

  Molecular Diagnosis & Therapy · 2025-06-18 · 6 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Long coronavirus disease (COVID) is a multisystem condition that affects a significant proportion of individuals following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, with persistent symptoms ranging from fatigue and cognitive dysfunction to cardiovascular disorders. It is estimated that 30-60% of infected individuals experience symptoms lasting more than 12 weeks. Despite advances in understanding acute infection, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying long COVID remain unclear. Current hypotheses suggest that viral persistence, immune dysfunction, and metabolic alterations play central roles. Omics approaches, including metabolomics, proteomics, and lipidomics, have played a crucial role in investigating molecular changes, identifying biomarkers, and refining therapeutic strategies. This review discusses recent advances in understanding long COVID, addressing its mechanisms, risk factors, the impact of viral variants, and the role of vaccination, with an emphasis on the importance of omics technologies in elucidating this condition.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Voltage Switching on a Dual Nano-Electrospray/Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization Platform Provides Higher Discrimination Power for Malaria Detection via Direct Infusion Mass Spectrometry

  Analytical Chemistry · 2025-08-26 · 1 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Nanoelectrospray ionization (nESI) is a powerful ion source enabling direct mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of polar compounds in small volumes. The exposure of charged microdroplets derived from nESI to nonthermal plasma discharge allows the ionization of nonpolar compounds via atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). In this work, we show that step voltage switching allows a distinctive composite spectrum to be recorded, which is richer in chemical information than the spectra derived from the pure nESI and APCI operated at constant voltages. Careful investigations revealed that the upper voltage in the switching event is not reached instantaneously. Instead, there is a gradual rise of the voltage within the set limits of the switching program, which allows different ionization mechanisms (nESI and APCI) to be activated at different times during the ramping period. We applied this step voltage approach to analyze nine malaria-infected and nine uninfected samples. We compared results to analyses achieved at constant applied voltages in nESI and APCI. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed that the composite spectra were achieved in voltage switching mode to provide the highest discriminatory power. Volcano plots, which analyze fold-changes in up- and down-regulated species in infected samples, confirmed the ability of the voltage switching process to enable the detection of many downregulated species. Consequently, heat maps derived from constant voltage APCI MS analysis showed the misclassification of four samples, while nESI MS analysis misclassified two samples. The composite spectra from nESI/ACPI in voltage switching mode enabled the correct classification of all 18 clinical samples.

  PublisherDOI

• Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry approach for characterizing sucrose isomers in complex mono-floral honey

  Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry · 2025-07-09 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Sucrose, which forms < 2% of the chemical content in honey samples, is known to have five structural isomers each with its own medicinal benefits. Unfortunately, studies characterizing the specific sucrose isomer(s) present in honey samples are limited. Herein, we introduce a contained electrospray ionization (cESI) method that can be coupled between liquid chromatography (LC) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). This LC-cESI-MS/MS platform leverages chloride adduction to enable sensitive differentiation and characterization of disaccharide isomers in complex honey samples. By integrating retention time and collision-induced dissociation (CID) MS/MS data, we achieved orthogonal analysis of six sucrose isomers. The MS/MS on the chloride adducts showed distinct fragment ions for each isomer. Additional optimization afforded nanomolar (nM) detection limits for all disaccharides analyzed via chloride adduction in negative-ion mode, a feature that showed superior sensitivity compared with conventional sodium adduction methods typically achieved in positive-ion mode. We identified four sucrose isomers (turanose, palatinose, maltulose, and trehalulose) in three mono-floral honey samples, of which turanose was the most abundant isomer. Sucrose itself could not be confirmed in any of the honey samples tested and leucrose was confirmed to be absent. Although the specific amounts of these isomers were not determined, principal component analysis showed that the abundances of the four identified structural isomers significantly differed in the three mono-floral honey samples. The current study forms the first report suggesting turanose to be the main sucrose isomer in the tested mono-floral honey. Such identification was made possible because of our ability to independently optimize LC and cESI spray solvents, and to enable online microdroplet chemistry via chloride adduction, which allowed the conventional CID-MS/MS to yield highly informative fragmentation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Malaria Management through an On-demand Diagnostic Approach using Novel Ionic Probes

  NIH · $1.3M · 2019–2025

• High-Performance Panoptic Mass Spectrometry for Electrocatalytic Reaction Screening

  NSF · $450k · 2019–2022

• Panoptic Mass Spectrometry

  NSF · $485k · 2023–2026

Frequent coauthors

• Kingsley Badu

  Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

  29 shared

• Stephen Opoku Afriyie

  Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

  29 shared

• Thomas Kwame Addison

  Kwame Nkrumah University

  28 shared

• Cristian Koepfli

  The Ohio State University

  27 shared

• Claudia A. Vera-Arias

  Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

  25 shared

• Emma V. Troth

  25 shared

• Abdul-Hakim Mutala

  Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

  25 shared

• Kwasi Baako Antwi

  Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

  25 shared

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry and Chemical Biology

  Harvard University

  2014

• PhD, Chemistry

  Purdue University

  2012

• MS, Chemistry and Biochemistry

  Indiana University of Pennsylvania

  2007

Awards & honors

• 2020 Sloan Fellowship Award
• 2019 NIH MIRA for New Investigators Award
• 2018 ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Arthur F. Findeis…
• 2017 Eli Lilly Young Investigator Award in Analytical Chemis…
• 2017 American Society for Mass Spectrometry Research Award