For the final day, we’ve chosen a selection featuring some big-hitters with a common theme: that of pride, passion and love for everything ASMS – and mass spectrometry, by extension.
Without further ado, here’s our picks for the final day – we very much hope you’ve enjoyed the show.
Henry Thomas, Deputy Editor
Today’s Must See
10:10–10:30 am (Ballroom III): Impact of urban wildfires on drinking water: Urban structural ash produces more toxic disinfection byproducts than vegetation ash (Susan Richardson)
In the morning, former ASMS President Susan Richardson presents new findings on how structural ash – from buildings, vehicles, and infrastructure – produces more harmful disinfection byproducts (which we spoke with Richardson about last year) than vegetation ash when it enters water systems. Using samples from California’s 2020 LNU Lightning Complex Fire, the study simulates chlorination processes in treatment plants, offering a clearer view of the risks to drinking water following urban fires.
When we sat down with Richardson in 2021, she explained that her affinity for water research is only matched by one thing: her enthusiasm towards all things ASMS. “My favorite conference – and favorite society – has always been ASMS. I’m obviously slightly biased because I work mostly with MS, but there’s just so much cutting-edge research that is presented at the conference. I’ve been attending since around 1990 and it’s amazing to see how much it has grown over the years.”
4:10–4:30 pm (Ballroom II): Twenty Years of Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry as A Mainstream Technology for High-Resolution Accurate Mass Analysis (Alexander Makarov)
Two decades ago, the Orbitrap was a scientific curiosity. Nowadays, it’s a cornerstone of high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis. Here, Alexander Makarov reflects on the evolution of his technology – from its unconventional origins (which you can read about in the classic “Orbitrap Against All Odds”) to its wide-ranging impact on proteomics, anti-doping, virology, and more.
While the global recognition may have taken some getting used to, there’s one place Makarov – aka “The Orbitrap Man” – still feels entirely at ease: among fellow mass spectrometrists. “Although mass spec is a relatively narrow field, when I am at ASMS – or any other big mass spec conference – it is nice to feel at home. I like being able to help people and give people advice. It’s an aspect I really enjoy.”
4:45–5:45 pm (Hall AB): Closing Plenary: Melissa Trainer (NASA Goddard Space Center) (Melissa Trainer)
To close the day (and conference) out, Melissa Trainer takes us to Titan – Saturn’s largest moon – in the search for life beyond Earth. Trainer will outline NASA’s Dragonfly mission: a rotorcraft lander equipped with the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS), designed to investigate the organic materials scattered across Titan’s surface.
We had the pleasure of speaking to Trainer about the task back in 2023, where she emphasized the importance of collaboration in bringing a mission like Dragonfly from concept to reality.
“One thing I love about planetary science is how interdisciplinary it is. It’s impossible to do what we’re doing without having input from a large number of people across a range of disciplines – the DraMS project is a perfect example of this. There are those of us who are trained in chemistry, looking at the molecules within the planetary environment, physicists to figure out how we can get across the solar system to reach Titan, nuclear scientists to create the GRS instrumentation used within Dragonfly… I could go on and on.”
Thought of the Day
“Today with high-end mass spectrometry we can study thousands of proteins within a single cell in just half an hour. To put that into perspective, 20 years ago, when I worked at a biomarker company, it took us half a day to identify 1,000 proteins from a sample of 1 million cells. So we’ve gone from 1 million cells to a single cell, and from half a day to half an hour – that’s quite an accomplishment.” – Koen Sandra
Aprés-Sci
If you’re looking to combat the post-conference blues, we suggest getting yourself down to Fells Point for a night of music and local flavor and warm energy. This historic, waterside neighborhood comes alive after dark, with live music playing in the bars and a night market offering everything from delicious food to unique artisan crafts.
Whether you're grabbing a bite from a street vendor or enjoying a drink to the sound of live music, Fells Point’s lively yet laid-back vibe is the perfect way to unwind after a week’s worth of sessions to digest.
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