A New Frontier: NanoLC–NanoESI–MS in Astrobiology

Mike Callahan, an analytical chemist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (Maryland, USA), led a team to develop a new nano LC–nano ESI–MS method to detect life's building blocks in "spacedust". Callahan spoke to The Column about the inspiration behind the project, the challenges of analyzing extraterrestrial material in the laboratory, and future directions.