Breath Analysis and the Human Volatome

Human breath contains thousands of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that reflect metabolism, environmental exposure, and disease state—making it a rich, non‑invasive source of clinical and biological information. In this on‑demand webinar, Renee Cataneo and Mayur Mandada of Menssana Research present how advanced breath collection technology combined with thermal desorption GC‑MS and GCxGC time‑of‑flight mass spectrometry (TOF‑MS) is transforming the study of the human volatome.

The session begins with an overview of Mensana’s patented Breath Collection Apparatus (BCA), designed to collect and pre‑concentrate trace‑level VOCs from human breath while controlling for ambient air contributions. The presenters explain how careful sample handling, sorbent selection, and normalization strategies enable the reliable capture of compounds present at parts‑per‑trillion concentrations.

The webinar then contrasts traditional quadrupole GC‑MS workflows with GCxGC‑TOF MS, demonstrating how orthogonal chromatographic separation, high acquisition rates, and automated deconvolution dramatically improve peak capacity, compound identification, and throughput. Real breath data show an increase from roughly 200 detectable VOCs to more than 2,000, revealing extensive co‑elution and underscoring the limitations of one‑dimensional separations for breath research.

Using GCxGC visualization, contour plots, and breath‑minus‑air subtraction, the presenters illustrate how compound families can be organized and compared, enabling robust biomarker discovery. The webinar concludes with an overview of how these discoveries support non‑invasive diagnostic research, including early detection of cancers, metabolic disorders, infectious disease, transplant rejection, and environmental exposure.

This webinar is ideal for researchers and analysts working in clinical research, metabolomics, environmental exposure science, and analytical chemistry who are interested in advanced VOC analysis and translational biomarker discovery.