Biological Mass Spectometry Research Laboratory wins innovation honours

The Biological Mass Spectometry Research Laboratory has been welcomed by the Waters Corporation into its Centres of Innovation Program.

Professor David Clemmer, the Robert and Marjorie Mann Chair of Chemistry and the Associate Dean of Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University, was also enrolled into the scheme.

Mr Clemmer was commended for his work in ion mobility mass, which has provided researchers with new routes to discovery in the areas of protein charactertisation and the field of proteomics.

Ion mobility mass spectrometry separates gas phase ions based on their size, mass and charge, allowing scientists to be capable of dividing isomers or conformers of compounds.

Thanks to this, scientists are able to predict the size and shape of molecules with more precision, while 3D models of proteins and protein complexes can be developed, which were not previously possible with two-dimensional mass spectra.

An influx of applications in the fields of proteomics, lipidomics, whole-protein analysis, small molecule analysis, and tissue imaging has led to the implementation of ion mobility mass spectrometry in the Waters SNYAPT HDMS Mass Spectrometer.

Lauren Robel, Indiana University Provost and executive vice president, said: "On behalf of IU I am honoured to welcome the Waters Corporation as our partner in our academic research mission, and to offer my personal congratulations to Professor Clemmer and his research team on earning this exceptional designation.

"This is an exciting collaboration and epitomises the groundbreaking possibilities that emerge when leading university researchers team with pioneering private sector partners."

Ms Robel explained how the innovations resulting from the research will be able to revolutionise how the technology is studied, while helping to accelerate scientific discoveries.

John Gebler, general manager of the Waters Centers of Innovation Program, noted that it is "remarkable" to see how much far mass spectrometry has advanced over the last 20 years.

He stressed that, by looking at Professor Clemmer's laboratory, people can see the future of mas spectrometry taking shape.

Posted by Fiona Griffiths