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Measuring Mass: From Positive Rays to Proteins. Michael A Grayson, ed. Philadelphia, PA: Chemical Heritage Press, 2002, 160 pp., $35.00, hardcover. ISBN 0-941901-31-9.

Neo Gen Screening, PO Box 219, Bridgeville, PA 15017

The application of mass spectrometry is experiencing a quantum growth in many scientific disciplines, including medicine. It is timely that two winners of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, John B. Fenn and Koichi Tanaka, are mass spectrometrists. These individuals were honored for their contributions to the development of soft ionization techniques as applied to the mass spectrometric analysis of biological macromolecules. Methods borne out of their discoveries are revolutionizing many areas of clinical chemistry, as described by David Bruns in a recent chapter in Molecular Testing in Laboratory Medicine (AACC Press). These applications and many others, such as environmental, forensic, physical, and biological sciences, are documented in this handsomely designed book.

The foundations of mass spectrometry date back nearly 200 years to John Dalton, who proposed that all matter is composed of elements, that the number and types of atoms corresponded to the exact number and types of elements, and that all elements have a measurable physical property, atomic weight. Later, J.J. Thompson developed the first mass spectrometer in which he observed that lighter atoms responded differently than heavier atoms in a cathode ray tube. These fundamental developments provided better understanding of elements, in particular one physical property, mass, and led to the design of instruments to measure this important physical attribute, known generally today as the mass spectrometer.

To the mass spectrometrist, understanding the heritage of the discovery and development of this technology is important. For the clinical chemist, how mass spectrometry can help solve clinical chemistry problems is more important. Measuring Mass provides an excellent overview of both. Two timelines thread their way through the text, reminding us of the developments of mass spectrometry and its place in important events in world history. At first glance, these two timelines may seem odd and out of place. However, they serve an important purpose: to elucidate that mass spectrometry has not been marching out of step with the world, but in step, contributing to society in many previously unrecognized ways. In fact, the last historical events described are those of September 11, 2001. Clearly, these tragic events have accelerated a whole new interdisciplinary field dealing with terrorism and bioterrorism, which heavily utilizes mass spectrometry in a myriad of applications ranging from detection of bioactive toxins to explosives.

Measuring Mass demystifies mass spectrometry. This is helpful to practitioners of mass spectrometry, who frequently encounter difficulties explaining just what mass spectrometry is to other scientists, funding agencies, the media, and the general public. Teaching mass spectrometry is not an easy task; this historical overview is one tool to provide information that literally speaks to why we should understand it.

Measuring Mass is composed of ten chapters, of which the first four pertain to fundamental discoveries and basic understanding of mass spectrometry. The remaining chapters discuss the applications of this technology to the world around us. Although no chapter specifically pertains to clinical chemistry applications, a few chapters contain some references. The featured technique pertaining to clinical applications is, of course, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The authors then describe protein analysis using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques. Unfortunately, they fail to describe one of the most important recent applications of mass spectrometry, newborn screening and clinical diagnostic testing for metabolic diseases. Considering that nearly all infants in the US will be screened for more than a dozen diseases with a mass spectrometer, it is astounding that this application was not mentioned. Newborn screening utilizing tandem mass spectrometry will soon have an important impact on the health and well-being of more than 4 million infants each year in the US alone. At the very least, this advancement is as important as proteomics in applications of medicine. Readers may be disappointed by a lack of coverage of tandem mass spectrometry applications in clinical chemistry, but the review of this technique serves as a useful, important overview.

Anyone interested in the history of mass spectrometry should acquire a copy of Measuring Mass. Certainly it is the type of book that I would place in my library, on my desk, or even on my coffee table. Any scientist seriously interested in mass spectrometry will find reading this book a worthy endeavor. The publication of Measuring Mass is an indicator of changes occurring in a discipline that no longer comprises only fundamental physical scientists, but application specialists, who use mass spectrometry as a tool to perform research or analytical services. Clearly, the best is yet to come, as the American Society of Mass Spectrometrists just celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2002. As a member of AACC and the American Society of Mass Spectrometrists, this reviewer feels privileged to witness the extraordinary growth of a field of science that has and will have impact in all aspects of our lives, including our life through clinical chemistry.

This Article Extract Full Text (PDF) Submit an electronic Letter to the Editor about this paper Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chace, D. H. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Chace, D. H.