Dialogue Mass Spectrometry Professor R. Graham Cooks - An Interview with Prof. R. Graham Cooks, Purdue University, USA

Due to its accurate qualitative and quantitative capabilities, mass spectrometers have become increasingly important in the field of scientific instruments and have been recognized as one of the fastest-growing analytical instruments in recent years. At the major scientific equipment exhibitions held throughout the world, the newest mass spectrometers were introduced. According to statistics from the American ACS website, currently seven of the top ten instrument manufacturers in the world are engaged in the production of mass spectrometers; since 2006, seven domestic companies have started to engage in the production of commercially-available mass spectrometers.

Purdue University. Prof. Graham Cooks (hereinafter referred to as Professor Cooks) is a world-renowned scientist specializing in mass spectrometry basic research, mass spectrometer development, and mass spectrometry applications. He received the highest honor Thomson Award in the field of mass spectrometry in 1985 and was awarded in 2002. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Arts and Science in the United States.

So far, R. Graham Cooks has directed 119 doctoral students and published nearly 1,000 academic papers in various academic journals. It is one of the 100 chemists with the highest ISI indexing rate. Prof. Cooks's research group recently mainly engaged in basic research on the collision of ion molecules in gas phase, collisions between ions and surfaces, and discovered the phenomenon of soft landing.

On the occasion that Professor Cooks came to China to give lectures at the invitation of Tsinghua University, Instrument Information Network Editor (hereafter referred to as Instrument) interviewed Professor Cooks and conducted an in-depth exchange with Professor Cooks on the latest technological advances and industrialization of mass spectrometers. .

Due to its accurate qualitative and quantitative capabilities, mass spectrometers have become increasingly important in the field of scientific instruments and have been recognized as one of the fastest-growing analytical instruments in recent years. At the major scientific equipment exhibitions held throughout the world, the newest mass spectrometers were introduced. According to statistics from the American ACS website, currently seven of the top ten instrument manufacturers in the world are engaged in the production of mass spectrometers; since 2006, seven domestic companies have started to engage in the production of commercially-available mass spectrometers.

Purdue University. Prof. Graham Cooks (hereinafter referred to as Professor Cooks) is a world-renowned scientist specializing in mass spectrometry basic research, mass spectrometer development, and mass spectrometry applications. He received the highest honor Thomson Award in the field of mass spectrometry in 1985 and was awarded in 2002. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Arts and Science in the United States.

So far, R. Graham Cooks has directed 119 doctoral students and published nearly 1,000 academic papers in various academic journals. It is one of the 100 chemists with the highest ISI indexing rate. Prof. Cooks's research group recently mainly engaged in basic research on the collision of ion molecules in gas phase, collisions between ions and surfaces, and discovered the phenomenon of soft landing.

On the occasion that Professor Cooks came to China to give lectures at the invitation of Tsinghua University, Instrument Information Network Editor (hereafter referred to as Instrument) interviewed Professor Cooks and conducted an in-depth exchange with Professor Cooks on the latest technological advances and industrialization of mass spectrometers. .

Instrument: Today's mass spectrometers are becoming more and more complex. For example, mass spectrometers from the original single quadrupole to the current triple quadrupole, and different kinds of mass analyzers combine to form a new mass spectrometer; for a general laboratory user Say, do they really need these increasingly high-end mass spectrometers?

Professor Cooks: First of all, what I want to say is that I may not be the most suitable person to answer this question. I personally are a little bit negative. Now it is true that some high-end mass spectrometers are becoming more and more complex. In order to meet the needs of scientific research, more and more functions are carried on an instrument, but in retrospect, no real new things have been discovered, but only a combination of existing functions. For example, tandem mass spectrometry using the second-generation ion mobility technology offers users another pre-separation option. We do not deny that using such an instrument can make a very beautiful research work, but this is not Can represent new ideas. The “ordinary users” that you mentioned in the question do have many large, complex mass spectra produced by various companies in many laboratories, but much of the work can be done with other simple instruments. In the research and development of mass spectrometry, when we conduct long-term research in a field and there are no new ideas, we always tend to make full use of the old methods (We continue to make liberation of old ideas). a lot of.

Instrument: You have a lot of scientific achievements successfully industrialized, and related instrument companies also have a good cooperation, such as the cooperation with Finnegan launched the world's first ion trap mass spectrometry, please talk about this experience of?

Prof. Cooks: In the field of chemistry, many scientists are very interested in commercializing their scientific research results or building new companies accordingly. I myself helped set up three companies to do micro mass spectrometry, ionization methods, and ion sources. My own experience is that it is very valuable to commercialize scientific research or establish a company. The faster the technology can be manufactured, the better. Scientists should actively face such a thing. Of course, you can get some financial support and it will be relatively easy to start.

Whether in the United States, China, or the rest of the world, the industrialization of scientific research results is risky, and it can be said that the success rate is relatively low. From a laboratory prototype to an engineered, commercial product, many uncertainties must be experienced; both scientists and companies must face these issues together.

Instrument: At present, many mass spectrometry technologies have been very mature. Now many Chinese scientific instrument manufacturers are trying hard to enter this field, but patent protection is a problem that must be faced. What suggestions do you have?

Prof. Cooks: A long-term, stable solution is that companies must guarantee investment in R&D and continue to innovate; unless they can acquire related patents through the acquisition of other companies. However, Chinese instrument companies also have some advantages that can be fully utilized. On the one hand, China has realized the importance of solving practical problems, such as food safety, environmental pollution, etc. The government has invested a large amount of funds each year to solve these practical problems. Local enterprises can seize these opportunities and launch equipment suitable for solving these problems. On the other hand, Chinese scientific instrument companies should pay more attention to engineering and process areas that can use chemical analysis technology. There are also many practical problems in these fields that need to be solved. The development of new special instruments in these areas can avoid the problem of patent protection to some extent.

Instrument companies should actively cooperate with the scientists of scientific research institutes. I have had a long history of cooperation with Thermo Fisher and I have developed ion trap mass spectrometers from now on until now. In addition, my own laboratory has many students from China who are very diligent and smart. As long as there is a suitable working environment and common goals, I think this young man is also very willing to cooperate with Chinese domestic companies.

Instrument: You collaborated with Chinese research institutes very early on. Would you please tell us about the impression of China's scientific environment in recent years? How did you lead your team to continuously innovate?

Prof Cooks: I really began to cooperate with scientific research institutions in China in the 1980s, and in recent years I have often received invitations for academic exchanges from China. There are many outstanding scientists in China, and some scientific research achievements have gradually been recognized by international counterparts. In addition, more and more international students are returning from overseas and have acquired good positions in research institutes and business units in China. In the field of analytical chemistry and mass spectrometry that I know, there were few articles from Chinese scholars five years ago, because they first had to overcome problems from the language side, but now the situation has changed a lot, and now more and more Articles are from China, and the quality and quantity are increasing year by year.

For innovation, I think this is what many people are willing to do. Most people do not like to repeat the same thing. They often hope to open a whole new situation through one thing. I think this kind of creativity is a natural part of many people. The key is to provide them with good development opportunities.

In the postscript, we learned that as a scientist, Prof. Cooks not only published a large number of scientific research papers, he possessed a number of patents for mass spectrometry technology; and Professor Cooks’ “market” awareness was also very strong. The selection of research topics was first considered. Whether it can solve practical problems, he invented and improved more than twenty kinds of mass spectrometers, including the key role in the development of tandem mass spectrometry (MSn). In addition, Professor Cooks actively cooperates with companies, for example, in cooperation with Finnigan (now Thermo Fisher) to develop the world's first commercial ion trap mass spectrometer. Currently, Prof. Cooks's research group is developing and prototyping environmental ionization and small portable mass spectrometers. Professor Cooks's personal experience is worth learning from domestic counterparts.