Matteo Rios

Matteo Rios
MS Student

Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry 

4510C Thomas Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695

marios@ncsu.edu

Matteo Rios joined the Kleiner Lab in 2023 as a Master’s student in Biochemistry at North Carolina State University. His research centers on developing and validating reproducible metaproteomic workflows for the detection, identification, and quantification of viral particles, with a focus on improving sensitivity and resolving power for complex viromes. Matteo leads comparative evaluations of multiple sample preparation strategies using a synthetic viral community (SynVirCom) comprised of diverse bacteriophages.

His work dissects the strengths and limitations of each method in recovering low-molecular-weight proteins, handling post-translational modifications, and enhancing peptide coverage. He has extensive hands-on experience with high-resolution mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography platforms, including the Orbitrap Astral, Orbitrap Eclipse, Exploris 480, Vanquish Neo, and RSLC systems, and is actively involved in both sample preparation and instrument operation.

The ultimate aim of his work is to enable robust viral detection in complex matrices such as environmental and gut microbiomes. Passionate about collaborative science, Matteo also contributes to mentoring and training in the lab, and is committed to bridging methodological development with ecological and biomedical applications of proteomics.