Alan Marshall | Homepage
Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Research Interests
My research consists of the continuing development of new theory, techniques, and analytical/biological/environmental applications of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry. We were the first to apply Fourier transform techniques to mass spectrometry, and more than 575 FT-ICR mass spectrometry systems based on our patents and papers have been bought or built worldwide. At our National NSF High-Field FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry Facility at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, we have built 7, 7, 9.4, 9.4, and 14.5 tesla FT/ICR instruments. Our instruments hold the world records for mass resolution and mass accuracy (e.g., see Figure), and attract hundreds of users and collaborators from all over the world.
We continue to push the FT-ICR technique to its ultimate limits for mass resolution, mass range, and sensitivity.Our stored-waveform inverse Fourier transform ("SWIFT") excitation/detection scheme offers ultrahigh-resolution MS/MS with a single spectrometer as well as truly simultaneous multiple-ion monitoring. We use electrospray ionization, field desorption/ionization, and atmospheric pressure photoionization to produce mass spectra of substances with little or no volatility (e.g., biopolymers, drugs).