Key Points:
- Mass spectrometry (MS) has evolved from custom-built instruments to widely accessible, reliable benchtop devices, with the ASMS conference as a central hub for innovation, collaboration, and career networking in the field.
- Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming analytical tools, but experts emphasize the importance of grounding innovation in strong foundational knowledge and maintaining an open mind.
- As labs integrate more automation, a skills gap is emerging, making it critical for early-career chemists to develop core analytical skills to effectively troubleshoot and apply new technologies.
- Industry leaders encourage young chemists to stay curious, embrace collaboration, and pursue careers in growing sectors such as food safety and biopharmaceuticals, where analytical expertise is crucial.
From handmade machines to high-throughput powerhouses, mass spectrometry (MS) has undergone a dramatic transformation—and so has the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) conference over its 73-year history.
Chris Lock, vice president of Global R&D at Sciex, has attended the ASMS conference for more than two decades. Throughout that time, he has witnessed the technology’s evolution firsthand: from custom-built, one-of-a-kind instruments crafted in individual laboratories to the reliable, benchtop mass spectrometers now widely accessible around the globe.
“There’s been an explosion of application spaces,” he said. “In the beginning it was much more hardware focused.”
Since its early days, the ASMS conference has evolved into a central hub for collaboration across the MS community, bringing together leaders from both academia and industry. It has become a key venue for companies to unveil new product innovations—and for emerging scientists to network, exchange ideas, and explore career opportunities.
Many chemistry graduates are choosing to build their careers in industrial laboratories, fueling growth in fast-expanding sectors like biopharmaceuticals and food analysis. This trend is only accelerating as academic positions become scarcer and research funding across many disciplines continues to decline.
At this year’s meeting, LCGC sat down with executives from top analytical science and technology companies to discuss emerging trends and professional insights. As part of these conversations, we asked: What advice should early-career analytical chemists be paying close attention to right now?
The consensus among many leaders? Embrace innovation—but question it, too.
Many leaders are optimistic about the impact AI and other emerging smart tools will have on software development in this space. Companies are increasingly integrating intelligent features into their own products or collaborating with partners that offer advanced software solutions. Cerno, for instance, has partnered with several instrument vendors to incorporate its vendor-neutral calibration technology for spectral analysis in MS. But even as technology becomes more advanced, it’s crucial not to lose sight of the core principles and foundational knowledge of chemistry, said YongDong Wang, co-founder and CEO of Cerno.
“Understand the basics and get grounded in the fundamentals—but don’t be a fundamentalist. Stay open-minded,” Wang said. “Think about how to make a bigger impact by combining a solid foundation with emerging technologies.”
As powerful new push-button tools become more integrated into the lab, large industrial laboratories are facing a growing skills gap—often relying on a less experienced workforce that may struggle to troubleshoot when issues arise. Many industry leaders emphasized that as the field embraces automation and emerging technologies, it’s essential not to lose sight of the importance of foundational scientific knowledge. Embracing innovation doesn’t mean abandoning core principles; in fact, it’s those very principles that enable new technologies to be applied effectively, responsibly, and with lasting impact.
Tarun Anumol, director of the Applied Markets Segment Group at Agilent, encouraged young chemists to stay curious, keep learning, and maintain an open mind as the field continues to evolve. When exploring career opportunities, seek out industries where the demand for analytical chemists remains strong and enduring. Fields like food safety, he noted, depend heavily on accurate chemical analysis to protect public health—making them an essential career path for chemists both now and in the future.
“There’s always value in that analytical chemist mindset,” he said. “Keep that spirit of innovation and have the base foundation of analytical science so that you can troubleshoot and fix things when needed.”
During his award lecture at ASMS, Jack Henion—recipient of the 2025 John B. Fenn Award for a Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry—reflected on decades of work alongside experts from across the industry. He shared photos and stories from both exciting breakthroughs and complex challenges, highlighting not just the science, but the collaborative spirit that made it all possible.
For Henion, the most rewarding part of his career wasn’t just the innovations—it was the people behind them. His reflections underscored a central theme echoed by numerous experts: it’s the shared expertise, curiosity, and foundational knowledge of scientists that truly drive the field forward.
“I encourage young people interested in MS to take chances, follow their hunches, be brave and foolish, and challenge the way it has always been done,” Henion said. “Two heads are better than one. There’s so much more that you can do when you connect with other folks.”
