Course Format: This course is 1.5 days, held in-person at the Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center. It will be all day on Tuesday, May 7 and half day on Wednesday, May 8. Course Description: This fun course will use the ability to interpret mass spectra to solve fictional “crimes” ripped from the headlines across the state of Minnesota (and New Mexico). We will solve 6 mysteries using information gained from high resolution, accurate mass and isotope abundances to calculate possible molecular formulae and common fragmentation mechanisms to determine structures consistent with the mass:charge ratios in the spectrum. Mysteries will include EI-GC-MS and ESI-LC-MS ionization with unit-mass and HRAM data. If you can add, subtract, multiply, divide and willingly suspend disbelief that these spectra are not in an available database then by Wednesday at noon your superpower will be the ability to interpret small molecule mass spectra.
Instructor Bio: Bob Kobelski, Ph.D. Principal Scientist at Resolution Sciences Bob’s career has spanned over forty years working in organizations from 40 to over 2 million employees. Starting with a BS in organic chemistry from Fordham University and an MS from the University of Vermont Bob saw the error of his ways and completed a PhD in Analytical Chemistry with Janet Osteryoung at SUNY Buffalo conducting research into gas phase electrochemistry, GC-FID, and the more challenging vacuum electrochemistry, GC-MS. Bob has formulated latex paint for DuPont, conducted active deodorant research for Johnson & Johnson, characterized ink fired from nozzles of inkjet printers for HP and lead CDC’s chemical component of the Laboratory Response Network with labs from Maine to Hawaii and Puerto Rico to Alaska. In the company of chromatographers Bob is a mass spectrometrist and a chromatographer when surrounded by mass spectrometrists.