THE BRITISH MASS SPECTROMETRY SOCIETY Delivering …

T H E B R I T I S H M A S S S P E C T R O M E T R Y S O C I E T Y

Delivering World-Class Science with British Mass Spectrometry ! A Community Vision for British Mass Spectrometry

The Worlds First Mass Spectrometry Society !

Statement of Need

2021

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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y A M B I T I O N & V I S I O N S T R A T E G I C I M P O R T A N C E & C O N T E X T U S E R & C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T T H E I N F R A S T R U C T U R E A U T H O R S & E N G A G E M E N T I N D I C A T I V E R E S O U R C E S

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

“The community highlight that UK R&D requires sustainability in instrumentation and people, including

access to key, advanced instrumentation and laboratories that include subject-specific experts”

“Mass spectrometry is critical for British scientists in their delivery of world-class science”

“UK scientists have played and will continue to play a leading role in delivering mass spectrometry solutions to the world”

“Strategic, stable and long term investment is essential to

realise sustainable access to world-class mass spectrometry in Britain“

“Mass spectrometry is an axiomatic component of the national science portfolio and essential to sustain world-class

research in the United Kingdom”

Quotations extracted from the original BMSS DELPHI study 2019-2020

A Community Vision for British Mass Spectrometry

TheBritishMassSpectrometrySociety’sExecutiveCommitteecommissionedapathwayreportinMay2019.Ourobjectivewastoproduceacommunity-backed,evidence-basedvisionforthefutureofMassSpectrometryintheUKtosupportEPSRC,UKRI,andHMGinthestrategicplanning,prioritization,andfundingofthescienceofMassSpectrometryintheforeseeablefuture.

As a follow-up to that pathway report, the BMSS, together with a community working group, wasinvited to submit a Statement of Need to EPSRC outlining the infrastructure that will enable ourcommunitytorealiseworld-leadingtechnologyandexpertisewhichisaccessibletotheentirescientificcommunity and sustainable in terms of resource and personnel. Sustainable critical mass will beformed in key scientific areas for which mass spectrometry is a core technology, supported byinvestment in Research Technology Professionals, and developing expertise at all levels. Thecollaborative environment will nurture cross-fertilization of concepts and ideas; it will transformmultidisciplinarytrainingandcross-communicationofbestpracticetoensurerobuststandardsofdataqualityaremetacrossthecommunity.

This“StatementofNeed”wassubmittedtoUKRIonthe15thFebruary2021.

Thenextsteps inthisprocess involveworkingwithEPSRCtorefinethisvision intoaproposaltotheUKRI InfrastructureAdvisoryCommittee,meeting in theAutumnof2021. Feedbackand input fromthecommunityisencouraged.

Dr JackieMosely, Reader inMass Spectrometry,NationalHorizon’s Centre and TeessideUniversity,[BMSSChair].

ProfessorPeterO’Connor,ProfessorofAnalyticalChemistryandHigh-ResolutionMassSpectrometry,UniversityofWarwick,UK[BMSSTreasurer].

DrAnnekeLubben,HeadofMaterialsandChemicalCharacterisation(MC2),UniversityofBath,EPSRCStrategicAdvisoryTeamforCapitalEquipment.

DrTonyBristow,PrincipalScientistforMeasurementScience,ChemicalDevelopment,PharmaceuticalTechnologyandDevelopment,Operations,AstraZeneca,Macclesfield,UK[previousBMSSChair].

DrGavinO’Connor,HeadofDepartment,BiochemistryatPhysikalisch-TechnischeBundesanstalt(PTB)andProfessorofBiochemicalMetrologyatTUBraunschweig,Germany.[previousBMSSChair].

DrMarkA.McDowallJP,(formerMarketingDirectoratMicromassUKLimited-WATERSCorporation)[BMSSMeetingsSecretary].

DrAshleySage, BusinessDevelopmentManager,Markes International Limited,UK (formerBusinessDevelopmentManagerforSCIEXUKLimited)[BMSSAdvisoryBoardChair&previousBMSSChair].

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y


A M B I T I O N & V I S I O N

The investment required to deliver thisframework(detailedbelow)involves:1.  Capital investment to provide top-level

equipmenttothecentres.2.  Resourceinvestmenttoprovidepersonnel

andoperatingfundingforthecentresandhub.

3.  Research investment to supportcollaborativescientificresearch.

4.  Training investment, at all skill levels, tosustainablypopulateandupskillthetalentpipeline.

Incombination,thisframeworkwillprovideauniversally accessible mass spectrometryframeworkfortheUKindustrialandacademicscientific communities. Furthermore, byknowledge transfer among the centres andthroughout the wider mass spectrometrycommunitycoordinatedbythehub,bycross-fertilisationof ideas,andbyestablishmentofnew, diverse, multidisciplinary collaborationstheUKMSframeworkwillbegreaterthanthesumofitspartsandwillprovidethestructuralsupport to deliver on the wider scientificchallenges which benefit from high quality,reliable, mass spectrometry data andexpertise.

Scient i f ic Chal lenges Where Mass Spectrometry Research Will Play a Central Role:

BIOSCIENCES&BIOTECHNOLOGY:Mass spectrometry is the core technology,essentialfortheanalysisofall(bio)moleculesinvolved in ‘life’and is largelyresponsible fortherecentandrapidgrowthinthecapabilitiesofthebiotechnologyindustry.

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a field ofmeasurement science with an empoweringanalytical capability. As such awide-reachingresearch discipline,MS has bornewitness toan incrediblegrowth indemandoverthe last30years,yetthefundingschemestosupporttechnological developments have not keptpace with the scale of adoption. In UKacademia, MS is largely funded throughresponsivemode grant funding for individualresearch groups, or through strategicequipment funding and host institute capitalfundingtoestablishinstitutionalfacilities.Asaconsequence, in the UK, this field of sciencelacks centres with the critical mass inexpertise and resource to support a step-changeinscientificcollaborations,instrumentdevelopment,training,anddevelopmentwithcutting-edge MS technology, to delivermaximum impact from the use of thispowerfultechnique.

In recognition of this need, the BritishMassSpectrometrySocietyconsultedwidelyacrosstheUKandinternationally,seekinginputfromleading mass spectrometrists as well asscientists who, as non-mass spectrometristshave world-class research that is reliant onMS. This consultation has resulted in anevidence-based community consensus aboutthe future of UKmass spectrometry, leadingtothisstatementofneed.

A UK Mass Spectrometry Framework:

Thisstatementofneedencapsulateskeypartsof that vision: the need for 6 nationallyaccessible MS focused research centrescoordinatedthroughanetworkinghub.

scale, and high-performance instrumentationto characterise largebiomolecular complexesandtheir interactionsattheotherendofthescale.

CLIMATECHANGE&ENVIRONMENT:Mass spectrometry is essential in food andwater safety and sustainability and plays acentral role in atmospheric monitoring andsustainablefuels.Theremitisverybroad,yettheanalyticalchallengesalign,andtheimpactof advanced mass spectrometry in this areawill be felt across a huge community ofresearchersandsocietyatlarge.

Over the next decade and beyond, the bigchallenges of individualised, moleculartreatments, understanding and adapting tonew microbial and viral threats, engineeringbiologicalorganismstodevelopnewmaterialsand devices, trace analysis of potentiallyharmful entities, utilising engineeredorganisms to solve global problems will allrequire detailed molecular structuralunderstandingofbiomolecules.Suchdetailedbiomolecular structure determination isdependentonmassspectrometryandwillbedelivered by emerging developments in MSleading to small transportable devices andnewclinicaldiagnostictoolsatoneendofthe



The Step Change for UK MS.

The UK MS community is calling for aframework of centres with critical mass andexcellence in key MS technology andapplication areas linked together andcooperating via a data, knowledge transfer,andtraininghub.Thisframeworkwillprovidea step change by bringing together scientistsinareasofresearchwheremassspectrometryis rapidly having profound impact, andprovide the infrastructure and resource toensureoutputs(dataandtechnology)areofareliablyhighstandardandinaformatthatcaneasily and reliably be used beyond ourcommunity.

Mass spectrometry will have significantimpact on detection of agrochemicals andtrace industrial effluents, detection ofpharmaceuticals and drugs in municipalwastewater and drinking water, qualitycontrol and assurance of food and drink,improving government regulation of tracematerials such as cannabinoids or heavymetalsinfoodsecurity,developmentofnext-generation biofuels, and chemical analysis ofairborne particulates and their impact onhealth.

NEWMATERIALS(StructuralUnderstanding):Mass spectrometry is a critical technology inunderstandingnewmolecularentitiessuchasantimicrobials, polymers and colloidalmaterials, and new surface energy materialsneeded for future batteries, organic solarcells, and organic circuitry. Detailedknowledgeofthestructureofthesematerialsis key for learning how to control theirsynthesisandproduction.Over thenext5-10years, rapid growth in newer massspectrometry technologies like ion mobilityspectrometry, tandem mass spectrometry,a d v an c ed h i g h p e r f o rman ce ma s sspectrometry, and smaller, portableinstrumentationwillprovidedeterminationofnewhigher-orderstructural informationforavast range of new materials. Combinedsimultaneous characterisation involvingspatial location, shape, molecular structure,mass, and spectroscopy will achieve lastingimpact in the development of newmaterialsandbiomaterials.


U K M A S S S P E C T R O M E T R Y LeveragingBioscience&Biotechnology

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U K M A S S S P E C T R O M E T R Y InnovatingSpatiallyResolvedMolecular

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S T R A T E G I C I M P O R T A N C E & C O N T E X T

Thisproposalwouldprovidestable,long-terminvestment that would enable those samescientists to undertake larger scale scientificand instrument development projects todeliver the next-generation tools that ourcommunity consultation identified (e.g.clinical diagnostics). MS is a diversetechnology, and so technologydevelopmentsmadewithintheUKimpactthefullbreadthofUKscientistsexpediently,maintaining theUKworld-leadingstatus.

TheubiquitoususeofMS inallpriorityareasfor research and development in the UKmeans that funding of mass spectrometrynaturallyfallsacrosstheremitsofalltheUKRIcouncils. This is an opportunity for cross-council investment in the infrastructure tosupport all of these research areas, with acoordinated approach to ensure maximumreturn on investment. The strategic goal ofthis infrastructure proposal is to embedcollaborative science, pan-remit, betweenadvanced mass spectrometry platforms andhigh-quality science projects, some of whichcurrently involves experimental, blue-skiesthinking. This constructive coordination isrequired now to leverage the full impact ofhigh-quality mass spectrometry and datathroughoutthescientificcommunity.

Theproposedinfrastructurewillalsoincreaseavailability, level of training, and facilitatedata quality assurance and reliability whichwillenhancetheimpactofallmass

Realisationof thecommunityvisionwillhaveimmediate and lasting impact in the UK andbeyond. Mass Spectrometry, as a majoranalyticalmeasurementtechnology, iscriticaltoanywell-foundedanalytical laboratoryandis of strategic importance in all aspects ofmolecular science in chemistry, physics,engineeringandmanufacturing,biochemistry,b i o l o g y , m e d i c i n e , c l i n i c a l a n dp h a rm a c e u t i c a l , a g r i c u l t u r a l a n denvironmental,forensicsandsecurity,aswella s be ing p i vo ta l a c ross academia ,government/institutionsandUKindustry.Thevast majority of high impact outputs frommass spectrometry come fromcollaborationsbetween research mass spectrometrists andresearch groups from within this widerscientific community. To drive higher qualityscience, greater impact, andwider utilisationof advanced mass spectrometry capabilitiesand expertise, this proposal outlines aframework tobring together the full breadthofsciencefromwhichtosupport,nurtureandgrow collaborations most productively, andwill consequently have a significant positiveimpactonalltheoutlinedareasofscienceandorganisations.

In the UK, the density of world leadingchemical and biotech industries such asAstraZeneca,Syngenta,GlaxoSmithKline,UCB,Lubrizol, LGC, Waters Corporation etcetera,andproximity toUKacademiahas facilitatedan atmosphere of collaboration andcooperat ion , par t i cu la r l y w i th PhDstudentshipsandsimilarscientificprojects.


Through consultat ion, the UK’s MScommunityidentifiedtheavailabilityofhighlytrained personnel is a critical limiting factorwithin thepharmaceutical andbiotechnologyindustries, as well as within some academicdepartmental mass spectrometry facilities; alimitation which is well highlighted in therecentUKRI Research and Development RoadmapandtherecentlypublishedTechnicianCommitmentactionplan.The UKMS Framework proposed herein willhave,atitsheart,amandatetotrainUG,MSc,PhD, PDRA, RTP, and industry and clinicalpersonnel at all levels to increase theoverallunderstanding of the more advancedmethods, technologies, and data within theindustry. The long-term impact of thattraining within the wider sciences will besubstantial. In particular, the biotechnologyindustrywillgreatlybenefitfromthesupplyofhighlytrainedpersonnelwhocanimprovethequalityandoutputofthesciencederivedfromthemass spectrometry tools on hand.Whilethe industry already engages strongly withacademicsviaCASEstudentships, internships,a nd o the r p rog r ammes , t he mas sspectrometry hub and centres proposedhereinwillhaveaparticularmandatetotrainwithin their area of specialisation andexpertise enhancing the career prospects ofthosestudentsandthecompetitivenessofthepharmaceutical and biotechnology industrieswithintheUK.

spectrometry investments, from individualresearch group equipment to departmentalfacility equipment to industry-based massspectrometers.

This Infrastructure Investment Will:

•  Provide a sustainable basis for advancedscientificusageofcriticalinfrastructureona collaborative basis with scientists fromall research disciplines around the UKfromtheoutset.

•  Sustainably increase the quality andquantity of utilisation and sharing ofinstruments throughout the massspectrometrycommunityfromtheoutset.

•  Generateapooloftrainedscientistswiththeskillsetstodeliveroverthenext5-10yearsandbeyond.

•  Provide a core from which to deliveroutreachprogrammes toattract thenextgeneration of students to sustain andgrow our community beyond 10 plusyears.

•  AlignwithanddeliverUKRIstrategies.•  Developnextgenerationtechnologies.•  Enable and encourage commercialisation

of next-generation technologies throughintellectual property protection andknowledgetransfer.

•  Provide a framework for coordinatinglarger and internationally collaborativescientificendeavours.

•  Deliver the impactful use of technologywe have seen develop over the last 5years and state that the MS visioninvestment will deliver the UK readyresponse to technology that will bediscovered, designed and investigated inthecomingdecade.

S T R A T E G I C I M P O R T A N C E & C O N T E X T

U S E R & C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T

Thereisclearcommunityconsensusthat,overthe next 5, 10 and 20 years , the MScommunity will need to develop robust andtransportable technologies that will serve asgame-changing in point-of-care diagnostics,forensics and security; will drive the fightagainst climate change;will provide the real-timeanalysisneededforthebiotechnologicalfuture of today and tomorrow; will deliverreal-timefeedbackforefficientmanufacturingin chemical and food sciences, therebyunlockingfutureUKgrowth.Attheotherendof the scale, mass spectrometrists will pushthe boundar i e s o f advanced massspectrometrytoprovidemolecularprofilesforsingle cells and to study whole viruses, tounderstandandmapdiseaseprogression,andto understand the molecular make-up ofemerging energy solutions and smartmaterials. There is also a clear expectationfrom the community that greener, lowenvironmental footprint versions of currentMStechnologywillbekeyfactorsinallfuturestrategic planning. Tomeet this expectation,thetechnologymustbedevelopednow.

The community highlighted that UK R&Drequiressustainability in instrumentationandpeople, including access to key, advancedinstrumentationandlaboratoriesthat includesubject-specific experts. Thus, strategic,stable,andlong-termcoordinatedinvestmentisneeded toharness thecombinedpowerofthe technological assets (both existing andfuture) and research centre resources andpersonnel in combination with the directengagement with and input from widerstakeholdercommunitiesincluding:

A Community Vision for British Mass Spectrometry:

The British Mass Spectrometry Society’sExecutive Committee commissioned apathway report in May 2019 due to acommunity recognition of need for acoordinatedvisionforthefield.Theobjectivewas to produce a community-backed,evidence-based description of the future ofmass spectrometry in the UK to supportEPSRC, UKRI, and the government in thestrategic planning, prioritization, and fundingof the science of mass spectrometry in theforeseeable future (5, 10, and 20 years).Consulting widely across the UK andinternationally, seeking input from leadingmass spectrometrists as well as scientistswho, as non-mass spectrometrists haveworld-classresearchthatisreliantonMS,thecommittee proceeded to engage with thecommunity via an iterative editorial emailquestionnaire process, combined withoutreach and engagement and dedicateddiscussion panels and poster sessions atseveral BMSS annual meetings and events.TheoutcomeofthisconsultationprocesswastheUKMassSpectrometryVisiondocument,whichisavailableat:https://www.bmss.org.uk/about-us/uk-mass-spectrometry-vision


•  Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). TheanalyticaldivisionoftheRSCinparticular,is dedicated to the progress andadvancement of science and training inanalytical methods and techniques.https://www.rsc.org/membership-and-community/connect-with-others/through-interests/divisions/analytical/about-us/

•  The expected user base for the proposedMass Spectrometry Framework willcomprise the entire mass spectrometrycommunity along with collaboratingscientists who will draw on the resources(instrumentationandexpertise)withintheproposedcentresandwillinclude:

•  Mass spectrometry research groups, forwhom periodic access to next generationmass spectrometry technology, softwareand expert staff,will enable them able todeliver more ambitious and far-reachingresearchprogrammes.

•  Institutional mass spectrometry facilitieswhose RTPs will benefit from continuingprofessionaldevelopmentandprofessionalnetworkingopportunities.

•  Users of existing mass spectrometryinfrastructure who will benefit from thedata quality assurance and benchmarkingactivities that will ensure that existinginstrumentationisworkingtotheexpectedperformance, thus leveraging the existingMS instrumentation and improving thereturn-on-investmentacross theentireUKMScommunity.

•  Researchers in related fields whose workutilisesmass spectrometry will be able toable to access advanced technologyplatformsand learnanddevelopnew skillsets.

•  Industries such as biopharma, aggrotech,manufacturing, forensics and security,food and water processing and contractresearch organisations, whether largeorganisations or small and mediumenterprises are strongly dependent onmassspectrometry.Furthermore,industryhas cited a critical shortfall in massspectrometry expertise, and although itfunds a range of studentships, includingCASE awards and industrial PDRAs, toincrease the supply of these trainedpersonnel,industryhasindicatedthattheshortfall cannot be met through theseroutesaloneand theywould significantlybenefitfrommoretraining,higherqualitycontrol and assurance, and collaborativescienceopportunities.

•  BritishMassSpectrometrySociety(BMSS).The BMSS represent s the ma incommunity of mass spectrometrists, inacademia, government, and industry,within theUK. TheBMSS also representsUKmassspectrometryontheglobalscalethrough i t s a f f i l i a t ion w i th theInternat ional Mass SpectrometryFoundation(IMSF).

•  Community for Analytical MeasurementScience(CAMS-UK):

•  https://cams-uk.co.uk/about-cams-ukandtheCentresforDoctoralTraining.Thehubs and centres discussed herein arecompletely aligned with the goals ofCAMS-UKandseveraloftheCDTs.CAMS-UK exists to advance measurementscience and has ongoing projects in theareasofpoint-of-usesensors,separationsand detection, data analytics, and novelinstrumentationandmethods.


•  ECRs establishing their careers anddeveloping the next generation ofresearchers,providinga sustainable talentpipeline in the technological expertiseneeded to deliver top-quality results inmassspectrometry.

•  Many challenges for mass spectrometryresult from industry seeking solutions totheir problems. The proposed UK MSFramework will have critical mass tocoordinate multidisciplinary researchprogrammes and transfer that knowledgeand technology (with appropriate IPprotection) back to the originatingindustrialpartners.



U K M A S S S P E C T R OM E T R Y LeveragingClimate&Environment

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A UK Mass Spectrometry Networking Hub:

Thenetworkinghubwillbringthecommunitytogether and provide leadership, guidanceandsupport. Itwillhaveoversightof trainingacross all levels, data quality, knowledgesharing and research coordination, and willprovide outreach to the wider scientificcommunity and society. The centres willconnect via knowledge transfer PDRApositions and provision of training resource.Thecentreswilldeliverandexpandthestate-of-the-art in their sub-field, provide thehighest quality results to users andcollaborators across the broader scientificcommunity, and will expand training andunderstandingoftheirsub-field.The networking hub will also coordinate anannualscientificmeetingaswellastheannualscientific advisory group meetings tomaximiseoutreachandengagementwiththewider scientific community and enhance thenetworkingand trainingactivities throughoutthecommunity.

Delivery Approach:

The six centres and the networking hubshould each be funded in response to acoordinated set of calls for proposals fromUKRI, possibly coordinated and managed byEPSRC. These proposals should be reviewedforscientificexcellenceandvisionwithdirectreference to this statement of need. As thisUKMSFrameworkislikelytoengagemostofthemassspectrometrycommunity intheUK,it will be necessary to look farther afield forreviewers, but the mass spectrometrycommunity can suggest a large number ofinternationalexpertswithvisionandexpertisein delivery of large facilities and centres aswell as a keen understanding of the massspectrometryfieldasawhole.

A UK Mass Spectrometry Framework:

Is needed which includes a networking hublinking a set of sixMS centres, each focusedonadvancedresearchandcollaborationinkeyareas of specialisation, community andsociety.ThesixMScentreswillbefocusedonthefollowingsixareasofimportance:

3TECHNOLOGYCENTRES:1.  Advanced high performance mass

spectrometry for molecular structuralcharacterisation:

2.  Next generat ion MS techno logydevelopment, including robust, portable,instruments for clinical, environmental,andindustrialuse.

3.  Spatially resolved mass spectrometrytechnologies for determination of thespatial distributions of molecules in arange of physical, chemical, biochemical,andclinicalenvironments.

3STRATEGICMSAPPLICATIONCENTRES:1.  Advanced mass spectrometry for next

generation biosciences, from cell andgene therapies, new antibiotics, viralvectors, host cell proteins, clinicalanalyses, and the gateway into medicalandoperatingtheatredevices.

2.  Mass Spectrometry approaches to studyclimate change and environmentalimpacts, including traceanalysis, isotope-ratiotracerstudies,nextgenerationfuelsand biofuels, and food, air and watersecurity.

3.  Mass spectrometry for analysis of newmaterials, including polymeric materials,n e w p h a rm a c e u t i c a l e n t i t i e s ,understanding polymer degradation inplastics, biomolecule-polymer compositematerials,andmaterialswithoutaprecisemolecular formula (such as catalysts andsurfaces),

T H E I N F R A S T R U C T U R E

Risks:

A key threat is lack of coordination, whichcould result in lossofconnectivityand focus.This will be overcome by creation of thenetworking hub with shared staff and atraineefundingbudgettoengagewiththeUKMSCommunityThe risk of inadequate management of thenetworking hub and six MS centres will bemitigated by creation of advisory boardsmade up of representatives from keycommunity stakeholders, including externalrepresentatives from UKRI, industry,a cademi c s f rom ou t s i de the mas sspectrometry community, and internationalMSexperts.

Options Analysis:

Thecommunityconsideredarangeofoptionsfor provis ion of the key analyt ica linfrastructure required in the UK, and adetailed SWOT analysis was done for each(available at www.bmss.org.uk/about-us/uk-mass-spectrometry-vision/).Thesixadvancedmassspectrometrycentresandacoordinatinghub that would unite all infrastructure thatcurrentlymakesuptheUKlandscapedoesnotyet exist in the UK, and that missingcomponent is proposed in this statement ofneed.



Loss of leadership in the field through agedequipment and stagnation of the staff. Thiswill be mitigated by the energy and driveprovided by the network hub, opportunitiesfor career development, funding tomaintains tate-of - the-art capabi l i ty , and theposs ib i l i t ies to d i sseminate resu l t sinternationally. The rolling 5-year fundingreviewcyclewillalsowardagainststagnation.

Inadequate provision of resource for theMScentresandnetworkinghubtocoverstaffing,maintenance, training, support, supplies, etc.will result in underutilisation of theinfrastructureandcurtaildeliveryat thehighlevelexpected.Thiswouldbemitigatedviaarobust and realistic long-term funding andcostrecoverymodel.Cost-recovery models must be carefullyweighed against scientific excellence. Arobust cost recovery model includingaccommodation for scientific excellence, ECRaccess, and pump-priming activities willmitigatethisrisk.Lossof key staff (mitigatedbyuseof longer-term contracts) may prevent some effectivefacility ‘down time’ while replacements arerecruited and trained to the same level. Thisrisk can be mitigated by funding andsupporting career development of RTPs andother full-time research staff positions. Astraining and maintenance of the skillsdevelopment pipeline for thewider scientificcommunity is a major goal, staff turnover isexpected and desirable, particularly forPDRAs, but there needs to be a balance tomaintain expertise and ensure maintenanceofhigh-qualityoutputsandresults.


U K M A S S S P E C T R OM E T R Y InnovatingMolecularStructure

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U K M A S S S P E C T R OM E T R Y LeveragingNewMaterials

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Dr Gavin O’Connor, Head of Department,Biochemistry at Physikalisch-TechnischeBundesanstalt (PTB) and Professor ofBiochemical Metrology at TU Braunschweig,Germany.[previousBMSSChair].

DrMark A.McDowall JP, (formerMarketingDirector atMicromass UK Limited -WATERSCorporation)[BMSSMeetingsSecretary].

Dr Ashley Sage, Business DevelopmentManager, Markes International Limited, UK(former Business Development Manager forSCIEX UK Limited) [BMSS Advisory BoardChair&previousBMSSChair].

Critically, the authors are grateful to the multiplicity of people around the UK, and beyond, who took the time to contribute to this study, to engage with us at various conferences and workshops to inform this document, and to the BMSS for its commitment to this project and for financial support.

The BMSS coordinated this ‘Statement ofNeed’ on the behalf of the entire UK massspectrometry community. The BMSSmembership currently stands at about 550members who are primarily practicing massspectrometrists within the British Isles, butwiththeoutreachactivitiesmentionedabovethis consultation reached >1100 scientistsinvested in mass spectrometry. The overallcommunity engagement activities hereinreached across the breadth of the field andincluded experts from the USA and Europewho had particular expertise with operationof large, advanced mass spectrometryfacilities, advanced senior academics andindustrial researchers, RTPs in technicalresearch positions within departments andinstitutes,ECRs,PDRAs,andPhDstudents. Authors:

Dr Jack ie Mosely , Reader in MassSpectrometry, National Horizon’s Centre andTeessideUniversity,[BMSSChair].

Professor Peter O’Connor, Professor ofAnalytical Chemistry and High-ResolutionMass Spectrometry, University of Warwick,UK[BMSSTreasurer].

Dr. Anneke Lubben, Head of Materials andChemicalCharacterisation(MC2),UniversityofBath, EPSRC Strategic Advisory Team forCapitalEquipment.

Dr Tony Bristow, Principal Scientist forM e a s u r em e n t S c i e n c e , C h em i c a lDevelopment,PharmaceuticalTechnologyandDevelopment, Operations, AstraZeneca,Macclesfield,UK[previousBMSSChair].


A U T H O R S & E N G A G E M E N T

U K M A S S S P E C T R OM E T R Y InnovatingNextGenMSTechnology

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Furthermore, the mass spectrometrycommunity has engaged extensively andcollaboratively beyond the fundamentalscience of mass spectrometry and into thewider scientific community. Some recentevidence of such engagement includes theRosettamission:http://www.open.ac.uk/science/research/rosetta/mission/philae-lander/ptolemy whichincluded a mass spectrometer to study themolecular structures of particles from thecomet, - thedevelopmentof tools for real-time diagnostic feedback in operatingtheatres:https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/126106/inte l l igent-kni fe-te l l s -surgeon-t i ssue-cancerous/) to allow surgeons to determinecancerous tumour boundaries accuratelyusing mass spectrometry detection ofmoleculesspecifictothecancer,andongoingand rapidly developing research intodetection and prognostic evaluation of theSARS-Cov-2 virus (and other viruses such asflu) in patients in hospital admissions,including detection of new variants as theyarise(https://covid19-msc.org/). WithfuturesupportfromUKRI,theBMSScommunitywillbeabletocontinuetopushtheboundariesofscienceusingmassspectrometry.

A U T H O R S & E N G A G E M E N T

U K MA S S S P E C T ROME T R Y EnablingMolecularCosmology

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U K MA S S S P E C T ROME T R Y EnablingCancerTreatment

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U K MA S S S P E C T ROME T R Y EnablingPublicHealth

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Funding Requirements to Establish the Networking Hub are as Follows:

Funding for research software engineers,bioinformaticians, and data scientists for thedevelopment of data standardisation, dataanalysis, data storage, and quality assurancemethodologies.Fundingfordatarepositories,protocol l ibraries, qual ity assurancemethodologydelivery.Fundingforoutreach,administration,advisoryboard meetings, and other managementcosts.Funding for knowledge transfer PDRAs(approximately 5-10 at 1.0 FTEon rolling 2-3year fixed term contracts) with a remit toperiodically move among the centres totransferusefulconceptsandmethodologies.Funding for training 60-90 PhD studentsannually in MS. These studentships willprimarily be hosted at academic institutionsworkingwith thehubor centres,onprojectscover ing the ent i re range of masss pec t romet r y i n s t rumen ta t i on andapplications.Thus, the networking hub would cost in theregion of £10M - £15M over 5 yearsdepending on the number of PhD studentsandPDRAsthatcanbesupported.

The UK Mass Spectrometry Frameworkincludes the six centres (three technology-focused and three application-focused) listedabove,linkedtogetherandcoordinatedbythenetworkhubwhich focusesondata, training,technology sharing, and outreach. Thecentresarenationalresearchfacilitiesandwillrequirebothcapitalandlonger-termresourcefunding to go alongside cost-recoverymeasuresinthethreetechnologycentres.

Funding Requirements to Establish the Six Centres Include:

Capita l funding for s tate-of - the-artinstrumentationandsoftwaretoestablishthesixcentres.Duetospecialismneedvariationsthis requirement will differ substantiallyamong the sub-fields, with an anticipatedmedian spend of ~£4.5M/centre (rangingfrom£2M-£5M).On-goingfundingforinstrumentandsoftwareupgradesover initial5-yearperiod,~£250k -£500kpercentre.Funding for RTPs, median 5 at 1.0 FTE for 5years per centre. It is expected that one ortwofull-timeRTPsareneededperinstrumentorapplicationarea.Fundingfornon-permanentstaff.Thecentresshouldhaveasetof5+PDRA’sortechniciansfundedfor the full5years,butonrolling2-3yearfixed-termcontractstoincreasetraining.Thus,totalfundingforeachofthesixcentresshou ld have a med ian fund ing o fapproximately £10-15M each over 5 years,renewablebasedonproductivityandvision.


I N D I C A T I V E R E S O U R C E S

For both the hub and the centres, cost-recovery efforts can be used to supplementthe training, maintenance, and suppliesbudget, provided the key criterion ofproviding scientific collaborations at theh ighes t l eve l o f exce l l ence i s notcompromised.The hub and the centreswill be expected tostronglysupportECRs inorder toexpandthetalent pipeline and develop long termcollaborations and beneficiaries of the MSframeworkinvestment.The tota l UK Mass Spectrometry Framework is expected to cost in the region of 95M over 5 years.


U K M A S S S P E C T R OM E T R Y NetworkingResearchInfrastructure

DeliveringROI

£


Table1:IndicativeestimateoftheUKMassSpectrometryFrameworkfundingrequirements.


UKCHARITYNUMBER281330

BMSSADMINISTRATORMrsLisaSage:+44(0)[email protected]

REGISTEREDOFFICEBritishMassSpectrometrySociety,25BurwardsleyWay,Northwich,Cheshire,CW98WN,UK.

THEBMSSTheBritishMassSpectrometrySociety isaUKregisteredcharity,foundedin1964.The BMSS str ives to encourageparticipation in all aspects of massspectrometry on the widest basis, topromoteknowledgeandadvancementinthe field and toprovide a forum for theexchange of views and information. TheBMSS is committed to ensuring equalopportunitiesandreflectingthediversityofBritishsocietyasawhole.

CORRESPONDINGAUTHORSProfessorPeterO’Connor:[email protected]:[email protected]

www.bmss.org.uk


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