Born in Czechoslovakia, Novotny attended the University of Brno where he received a Ph.D. in biochemistry (1965). Following postdoctoral positions at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Royal Karolinska Institute (Sweden) and University of Houston, he joined the faculty at Indiana University in 1971. Professor Novotny has later received honorary doctorates from Uppsala University, Sweden (1991) and Masaryk University, Czechoslovakia (1992). At IU, he is currently a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and the Lilly Chemistry Alumni Chair. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Medicine.
Professor Novotny has been a pivotal figure in the development of analytical separation methods for more than 30 years. His highly acclaimed efforts in microcolumn separation techniques of liquid chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis represent important innovations in modern analytical chemistry. He has also been known for his research in proteomics and glycoanalysis and for identifying the first mammalian pheromones.
Our laboratory has long been involved with developing new high-resolution and ultra-sensitive bioanalytical separation techniques. Current research focuses on substantial improvement in resolution of complex biological mixtures and identification of the separated compounds through techniques such as electrospray mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.
The most recent developmental aspects of our work include the preparation of highly efficient microcolumns for various forms of chromatography and capillary electrophoresis; and new detectors based on the laser technologies, imaging detectors, and other measurement principles. Techniques of ultrahigh sensitivity are being developed for new, challenging problems of biological chemistry.
In particular, capillary electrophoresis and electrochromatography combined with laser-induced fluorescence offer highly sensitive measurements at less than attomole (10-18 mole) levels. To facilitate ultrasensitive analyses of biological compounds by this technique, we have synthesized unique fluorogenic reagents that permit a spectral match with laser characteristics. Highly sensitive determinations of carbohydrates in complex mixtures are among the most pressing problems of glycobiology, a field now often referred to as the last great frontier of biochemistry. The analytical systems under development in this laboratory involve enzyme microreactors, unique fluorescent tags, and sophisticated instrumentation for proteomics and carbohydrate analysis, including various forms of mass spectrometry for sequencing, linkage analysis and a site of posttranslational modification.
Biochemically related investigations concern lipid peroxidation and its connection to the molecular mechanisms of aging and certain human diseases. For several years, our laboratory has also been active in the identification of mammalian pheromones and the biochemical aspects of olfaction. Olfactorily receptive proteins have now been isolated from mammalian tissues, and we are currently pursuing their structures, binding sites for pheromones, and the relevant molecular dynamic aspects. The membrane-bound receptor proteins are being probed for their interaction with pheromones and the consequent transmembrane signaling. Our research program gives graduate students opportunities to learn about modern analytical instrumentation and how to apply it to problems of biological significance.
Pheromones, Binding Proteins and Receptor Responses in Rodents. M.V. Novotny, Biochem.Soc. Transactions, 31, 117-122 (2003).
New Hyphenated Methodologies in High Sensitivity Glycoprotein Analysis. M. Novotny and Y. Mechref, J. Sep. Science, J. Sep. Sci., 28 1956-1968 (2005).
Combining lectin microcolumns with high-resolution separation techniques for enrichment of glycoproteins and glycopeptides. M. Madera, Y. Mechref and M. V. Novotny, Analytical Chemistry 77, 4081-4090 (2005).
Comprehensive Assessment of N-Glycans Derived from a Murine Monoclonal Antibody: a Case for Multimethodological Approach, Yehia Mechref, Jan Muzikar, and Milos V. Novotny, Electrophoresis 26, 2034-2046 (2005).
Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction: A New Quantitative and Comprehensive Sampling Technique for Determination of Chemical Signal Profiles from Biological Media, H.A. Soini, K.E. Bruce, D. Wiesler, F. David, P. Sandra, M.V. Novotny, J. Chem. Ecol. 31, 377-392 (2005)
A monolithic PNGase F enzyme microreactor enabling glycan mass mapping of glycoproteins by mass spectrometry, A. Palm and M.V. Novotny, Rapid Comm. Mass Spectrom. 19, 1730-1738 (2005).
Microdeposition Device Interfacing Capillary Electrochromatography and Microcolumn Liquid Chromatography with Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry. T. J. Tegeler, Y. Mechref, K. Boraas, J.P. Reilly and M.V. Novotny, Anal. Chem. 76, 6698-6706 (2004).
Temperature Dependent Backbone Dynamics of Major Urinary Protein-I Complexed with the Pheromone 2-sec-Butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole, H. Krizova, L. Zidek, M.J. Stone, M.V. Novotny, V. Sklenar. Journal of Biomolecular NMR 28, 369-384 (2004).
Determination of Trace Isoflavonoid Phytoestrogens in Biological Materials by Capillary Electrochromatography. Jason A. Starkey, Yehia Mechref, C.K. Byun, Rosemary Steinmetz, Ora H. Pescovitz, Milos V. Novotny, Anal. Chem., 74 5998-6005 (2003).
Thermodynamic Analysis of Binding Between Mouse Major Urinary Protein-I and the Pheromone 2-sec-Butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole. S.D. Sharrow, M.V. Novotny and M.J. Stone, Biochemistry 42. 6302-6309 (2003).
Structural Characterization of Oligosaccharides Using MALDI-TOF/TOF Tandem Mass Spectrometry. Yehia Mechref, Milos V. Novotny and Cheni Kirshnan, Anal. Chem.75, 4895-4903 (2003).
Microscale Nonreductive Release of O-Linked Glycans for Subsequent Analysis through MALDI/TOF Mass Spectrometry and Capillary Electrophoresis. Y. Huang, Y. Mechref and M.V. Novotny, Anal. Chem 73, 6063-6069, (2001).
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