Mass Spectrometry Focus Mass Spectrometry for a Changing World


As the Universities of Cardiff and Swansea have long held a renowned position in the world of Mass Spectroscopy via their output of well known academics and post graduate students, it seemed appropriate that the nomadic 31st BMSS 3 day meeting should find its way to the Cardiff City Hall (September 5-8th). Dr John Langley, the outgoing Chairman of the BMSS, noted in his letter to delegates that the fact that this constituted a quantum shift away from the usual academic campus environments which had previously hosted the BMSS meeting, this movement was driven by feedback from delegates and exhibitors, the organisers requirements for venue capabilities and ‘the crippling costs imposed by Universities’. To further reinforce the changes this year, delegates were encouraged to book their own accommodation, a reflection on the University offered options from the past.


“ Figure 1. The venue – Cardiff City Hall


Most importantly of all, feedback from delegates had indicated that a change in the structure of the meeting would be welcomed leading to a revamped format that reflected the structure of the current world of Mass Spectrometry. For many delegates the social programme is the keystone of the meeting and this was kept as intact as possible with various off-site venues hosting the delegates and exhibitors as they continued to network. Unfortunately the usual generous sponsorship of the exhibitors as seen at York two years ago was not forthcoming, maybe a sign of the economic climate, but the organisers did manage to find sponsors to keep the events alive.


Perhaps the most intriguing contributors were the bookmakers (and punters) who were associated with the Racing Pigs event, the less said about which, the better.


Perhaps the most intriguing contributors were the bookmakers (and punters) who were associated with the Racing Pigs event, the less said about which, the better.


Figure 2. Pig Racing Underway Activity Sunday Evening Social Event Sponsor Brains Brewery


Monday Evening Social Event Brains Brewery Exhibitor Wine Reception


Barber/Bardoli Prizes (best young person’s poster and oral presentation)


Barber Prize Bordoli Prize


Figure 3. Meeting Sponsors


135 Posters, over 300 delegates, 71 oral presentations and 11 vendor workshops – that’s the statistics out of the way.


Author Details: Bernie Monaghan,


Contributing Editor for Separation Science and Spectroscopy, International Labmate Ltd Email: bernie@intlabmate.com


STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE MEETING – NOT AN –OMICS IN THE TITLES


Changes, based on delegate feedback were taken on-board by the organisers for this meeting and followed some old structure but also incorporated some new and innovative timings. Each of the 3 days would start with an invited presentation (Marcolli Lecture and Keynote Lectures) by eminent speakers who would give thoughts on a variety of


Pfizer Ltd Syngenta


BMSS + The Racing Pigs


topics. This would be followed by a series of 20 minute oral presentations by 11 of the ‘Next Generation’ of Mass Spectroscopists who were all candidates for the Barber prize for the best oral presentation. The criteria for the award, and that of its sister award, the Bardoli (posters), is that all candidates must be BMSS members and aged under 27 on the 1st September 2010 and engaged on full or part time PhD in MS. Lunch was served in the poster area, exhibits were perused and then three parallel sessions commenced. We had for the first day one session on MS in Food/Environmental area, one on MS in Clinical Applications and one featuring 10 minute presentations by 12 of the exhibitors. The Tuesday session mirrored the Monday but with sessions on Biological Analysis for MS and one for Separation Science in MS complimented again by vendor presentations. Wednesday was devoted to non-commercial presentions with a Keynote lecture followed by 3 parallel sessions on MS in Surface/Nano Analysis, Instrument Developments and one on MS in Biological Analysis. The meeting concluded with the Chairs Invited Lecture.


This was a radically different way of structuring a meeting particularly for the vendors and will either be a blueprint for future meetings or consigned to the recycle bin. Hopefully it will be a hybrid leaning towards the former.


ORAL PRESENTATIONS


The Marcoli Lecture, which kicked off the meeting, was this year delivered by Professor Carol Robinson from the University of Oxford who spoke on ‘Mass Spectrometry and its role in Structural Biology’. She spoke about recent developments in MS, which have added further dimension to the study of protein complexes that of their collision cross-section. Using ion-mobility MS her group has been able to add spatial restraints to the models to existing models thus validating models with measurements of collision cross section. Also she has very recently developed the means to preserve intact membrane complexes in the gas phase. This allows the group to establish lipid and nucleotide binding and to define the stiochemistry and post translational modifications within the intact transmembrane regions of a number of complexes.


The Keynote lecture for the MS in Environmental and Food Analysis session was given by David Cook (University of Nottingham) who spoke on ‘Applications of on-line and rapid mass spectrometry techniques to study flavour development during malting and brewing processes.’ This was followed by six lectures from delegates on that topic. Similarly and concurrently a Keynote lecture for the Clinical Analysis session was given by Brian Keevil (University Hospital South Manchester), entitled ‘LC-MS/MS Analysis of Testosterone in Clinical Laboratories’, again followed by delegate presentations.


The Plenary lecture, which opened the proceedings on the second day, was given by Professor Alison Ashcroft of the University of Leeds who spoke on ‘ Using Ion Mobility Spectrometry - MS to Unravel Biomolecular Assembly’. Professor Ashcroft explained how mapping of viral capsid pathways is key to anti-viral therapeutic development. Non- covalently bound protein-nucleotide intermediates have been characterised in real time during the assembly of the MS2 bacteriphage capsid from its coat protein. The stiochiometry of these species was determined by mass measurements and by using different nucleotides for the assembly process. Modelling, in conjunction with cross-section measurements, has provided new structural insights into virus assembly intermediates and competing pathways. The Keynote lectures for the afternoon session were given by Brian Smith who spoke on the topic of ‘Use of MS in Clinical Drugs of Abuse Testing’ and Martin Larsen (University of Southern Denmark) presented on ‘Modification specific proteomics: the identification and quantization of phosphorylated proteins and sialyated glycoprotein’. Both sessions then had six delegates presentations to give more in-depth coverage of Separation Science and Biological Analysis.


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