The Biemann Medal

A highlight of today's festivities at ASMS is the presentation of the Biemann Medal, which will be given to Dr. David C. Muddiman in Hall 4 from 4:45–5:30 PM.

The award recognizes a significant achievement in basic or applied mass spectrometry made by an individual early in his or her career. The award is presented in honor of Professor Klaus Biemann whose lasting legacy is the training of students and postdoctoral associates over a 40-year period at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. David C. Muddiman, professor of chemistry at North Carolina State University, is being honored for his discovery that one strand of a PCR amplicon appears more intense than the complementary strand in an electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrum. Muddiman has developed alternative ion sources for FT-ICR mass spectrometry, including the dual ESI source, matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (MALDESI), liquid MALDESI, and an “air amplifier” for more efficient ESI. The significance of these advances is that they allow generation of multiple charged species, which are uniquely suited for FT-ICR MS due to the inverse relationship between frequency and m/z.