Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) shows how a technical breakthrough can reshape science and medicine. In the mid-1980s, John B. Fenn’s group at Yale set out to do something that seemed nearly impossible at the time: bring intact, fragile biomolecules into the gas phase for mass spectrometric analysis.

Keynote speaker Matthias Mann, Ph.D., had the privilege of working in his lab as a young scientist, witnessing the experiments that led to electrospray ionization - a gentle method that opened up the molecular world of proteins. This lecture will follow the trajectory from those foundational experiments to today, where ESI-MS drives modern proteomics and is entering clinical practice. 

Visit the John B. Fenn Annual Lecture page to learn more about the event and the speaker.