Creating Science – and Magic – in Anaheim
The Analytical Scientist welcomes you to Day 1 of ASMS 2024
Markella Loi | | 4 min read | News
Welcome to Anaheim and ASMS 2024 – the happiest place(s) on earth!
With over 70 sessions on the latest advancements in mass spectrometry, the 72nd annual ASMS conference is as busy as it gets – and a record breaking attendance according to John Yates.
Over the next five days, The Analytical Scientist is here to help guide you – presenting our top picks from the program, so you won’t miss a thing. We will be in attendance, so come visit us at booth #320 and grab a copy of our latest issue – and some other goodies – whenever you get a breather…
See you at the show!
P.S. To access the full ASMS conference program you will need to log in with your details in this online platform or download the app.
Today’s Must See
6:45–7:45 pm (Hall C/ Lobby Level): Unraveling the Ocean's Influence on Climate and Human Health (Kimberly Prather)
Kimberly Prather is set to welcome you to the show with her opening plenary. Kim focuses on developing and conducting measurements for aerosol chemistry. Asked about her motivation in 2017, she said: “Making a difference for our planet. Our research on aerosol impacts on clouds can help explain why we are seeing a sudden increase in weather-related disasters.” She once discovered that dust from 12,000 miles away in Africa (and ocean microbes) affects snowfall over California – her most rewarding moment. Today, she will be discussing how the Scripps Ocean-Atmosphere Research Simulator (SOARS) enabled her and her team to investigate the ocean’s influence on climate and human health.
5:00–5:45 pm (Hall C/ Lobby Level): Comprehensive Nucleic Acids Analysis: Are We There Yet? (Dan Fabris)
Mass spec is the protein analysis king – though nanopore technology is knocking at the door – but when it comes to genomics, the classic techniques (nanopore and next-generation sequencing) are still the go-to techniques. Could that be about to change? Here, Fabris aims to address all the misconceptions circling mass spec analysis of nucleic acids and explain all the steps and parameters experts need to consider in order to pursue groundbreaking avenues.
5:45–6:30 pm (Hall C/ Lobby Level): From Radical to Mainstream: Ion-Electron Reactions for Biomolecular Structural Analysis (Kristina 'Kicki' Hakansson)
Electron capture dissociation (ECD) has expanded from an FT-ICR-centric tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) technique to being broadly available on multiple mass spectrometers from several vendors. In her tutorial lecture, Hakansson will discuss the types of gas-phase chemistry occurring in ECD/ETD – focusing on peptide/protein analysis.
Tomorrow’s Planner
9:10–9:30 am (Room 207ABC/ Level 2): Extracting informative glycan-specific ions from glycopeptide MS/MS spectra using GlyCounter (Nicholas Riley)
1:00–2:30 pm (Hall D/ Lobby Level): Celebrating Women Mass Spectrometrists (Aivett Bilbao, Tian (Autumn) Qiu, Ximena Sanchez Avila)
3:10–3:30 pm (Room 210ABC/ Level 2): Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Liposomal Doxorubicin Delivery and Bilayer Fate in Three-Dimensional Tumor Models (Arbil Lopez)
3:50–4:10 pm (Room 304CD/ Level 3): Guarding drinking water safety against harmful algal blooms: Could UV/Cl2 treatment be the answer? (Susan Richardson)
Thought of the Day
“ASMS is a wonderful society. The members are a loyal group and we always have large numbers of volunteers for any job. During, before, and after my term, the society has worked on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (e.g., in selecting session chairs and speakers, in committee selections, in publishing, and so on) – making sure multiple voices are heard throughout the society’s functions. There is still a long way to go though so I hope all members continue to work hard to make the society more inclusive.” – Vicki Wysoscki, former President of ASMS.
In recognition of those ASMS members who are dedicated to mentoring and recruiting individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the field of mass spectrometry, the ASMS Membership, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee is presenting the newly established Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Mentorship Award.
The 2024 – and first ever – recipients are Leonard Foster, Professor and Head of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at University of British Columbia and Benjamin A. Garcia, Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Congratulations to you both!
Aprés-Sci
If all the science and seriousness overwhelms you, why not let your inner kid explore Anaheim? After all, the city is renowned for Disneyland – a must-see destination for California visitors, regardless of age. The ASMS committee even offers attendees a modest discount on tickets, which you can access here. The offer is available throughout the duration of the conference, so add that to your travel checklist!
Associate Editor, The Analytical Scientist
