Biological Mass Spectrometry Research Laboratory at Indiana University Receives Waters Center of Innovation Honors

MILFORD, Mass., Dec. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- At a ceremony at Indiana University's Bloomington campus, Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) welcomed the Laboratory of Biological Mass Spectrometry and Professor David Clemmer, the Robert and Marjorie Mann Chair of Chemistry and the Associate Dean of Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences into its Centers of Innovation Program. Waters honored Professor Clemmer's contributions to ion mobility mass spectrometry that have given researchers everywhere new routes to discovery in the areas of protein characterization and the emerging field of proteomics.

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Said Lauren Robel, Indiana University Provost and Executive Vice President, "On behalf of IU I am honored to welcome the Waters Corporation as our partner in our academic research mission, and to offer my personal congratulations to Professor Clemmer and his research team on earning this exceptional designation. This is an exciting collaboration and epitomizes the groundbreaking possibilities that emerge when leading university researchers team with pioneering private sector partners. The resulting innovations can revolutionize the ways in which we conduct research, greatly accelerate scientific discoveries and present students with unprecedented and remarkable opportunities to learn from and contribute to leading edge laboratory technologies."

"This is a really important milestone in the life of our department and university. It's an enormous honor for me to stand here before you to recognize one of our very best," said Professor David Giedroc, Chair of the Department of Chemistry. "David has had a tremendous influence on the development of ion mobility mass spectrometry."

In his remarks to the audience, John Gebler, General Manager of the Waters Centers of Innovation Program said, "It's remarkable to see how far mass spectrometry has come over the last two decades. Today we honor a key contributor to the revolutionary developments that have taken place. When you see David's laboratory, you can see the future of mass spectrometry taking shape with a passion and enthusiasm that is hard to find anywhere else."

In acknowledging the honor, Professor Clemmer who, in 2009, received the Tracy M. Sonneborn Award, IU's highest honor for excellence in research and teaching, was quick to credit others who have influenced his career. "This recognition from Waters Corporation means a lot to me. However, I have been very fortunate along the way to have been helped by many gifted students, colleagues, advisers and mentors and administrators who have put their faith in me. I cannot thank them enough for their contributions to my work in ion mobility mass spectrometry."

In conjunction with the Centers of Innovation ceremony, Indiana University hosted a special half-day scientific Symposium in Professor Clemmer's honor on Advancements in High Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Biomolecular Characterization. The Symposium featured leading international researchers in the field of ion mobility mass spectrometry including Prof. Perdita Barran, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland; Prof. Michael Gross, Washington, University, St. Louis, MO; Prof. Michael Przybylski, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany; and Dr. Kevin Giles of Waters Corporation.

About Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry

Ion mobility mass spectrometry separates gas phase ions based on their size, mass and charge giving scientists the ability to separate isomers or conformers of compounds.  As a result, scientists are now able to predict the size and importantly, the shape, of molecules with greater accuracy and clarity than ever before. With ion mobility data, they can also build 3D models of proteins and protein complexes - assemblies of two or more proteins – a capability not previously possible with classic two-dimensional mass spectra.

The implementation of ion mobility mass spectrometry into the Waters SYNAPT^® HDMS Mass Spectrometer has been credited with a surge of applications in the areas of proteomics, lipidomics, whole-protein analysis, small molecule analysis, and tissue imaging.

Prior to the Symposium, IU's Laboratory of Biological Mass Spectrometry took delivery of its second Waters Synapt HDMS Mass Spectrometer.

For More Information

Professor Clemmer's Research Group: http://www.indiana.edu/~clemmer

IMS/MS: It's Time Has Come, Anal. Chem. 2008, 80 (21), 7918 – 7920 DOI: 10.1021/ac8018608      

About Indiana University

Indiana University is a major multi-campus public research institution, grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, and a world leader in professional, medical, and technological education. Founded in 1820, IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of IU's eight campuses statewide. Innovation, creativity, and academic freedom are hallmarks of IU Bloomington and its world-class contributions in research and the arts.

About Waters Centers of Innovation Program

Waters Centers of Innovation Program recognizes and supports the efforts of scientists facilitating breakthroughs in health and life science research, food safety, environmental protection, sports medicine and many other areas.

Professor Clemmer joins 19 other researchers and research centers recognized by Waters' Centers of Innovation Program. The others include Professor Ganesh Anand, National University of Singapore; Professor David Cowan of Kings College London; Dr. Joseph Dalluge, University of Minnesota;  Professor Marcos Eberlin, University of Campinas, Brazil; Professor John Engen, Northeastern University, Boston, Mass.; Professor Albert J. Fornace, Jr., Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Frank Gonzalez, National Cancer Institute; Professor Julie Leary of the University of California – Davis; Dr. Amit Kumar Mandal, St. John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India; Professor Arthur Moseley of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Professor Jeremy Nicholson, Imperial College London; Dr. Devin Peterson, University of Minnesota;  Dr. Konstantinos Petritis, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona; Professor Pauline Rudd, National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training; Professor Vladimir Shulaev, University of North Texas; Professor James Scrivens, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Prof. Sarah Trimpin, Wayne State University; and Caroline West and Eric Lesselier, University of Orleans, Orleans, France.

These leading scientists, in partnership with Waters, are using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to help shape the future of scientific research and unlock the mysteries of science.

About Waters Corporation (www.waters.com)

For over 50 years, Waters Corporation has created business advantages for laboratory-dependent organizations by delivering practical and sustainable innovation to enable significant advancements in such areas as healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality worldwide.

Pioneering a connected portfolio of separations science, laboratory information management, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis, Waters technology breakthroughs and laboratory solutions provide an enduring platform for customer success.

With revenue of $1.85 billion in 2011, Waters is driving scientific discovery and operational excellence for customers worldwide.

Waters and SYNAPT are trademarks of Waters Corporation.

SOURCE Waters Corporation