Review of Mass Spectrometry and Bioremediation Programs of the Edgewood Research, Development and Engineering Center (1998) / Chapter Skim
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2 Mass Spectrometry
2 Mass Spectrometry
Pages 20-37
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This "Executive Panel," chaired by Professor Donald F Hunt, University of Virginia, met on July 31 and August 1, 1997.
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Smoke/Obscurants 3. Use an ion trap as the mass spectrometer.
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of the parent materials. When the larger fragments are then analyzed in a mass spectrometer, the resulting mass spectra should provide a more characteristic chemical fingerprint of the parent compound than conventional pyrolysis, which causes much more severe degradation and smaller fragments (mass 150 and lower)
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. In the future, these experiments will be carried out with a Finnigan LCQ mass spectrometer, which is more modern and more compact and uses an ion trap (the mass analyzer favored by the independent Executive Panel)
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Because of the time consumed in the preparation for and participation in these tests, the subgroup leader had no time in 1997 to compile and evaluate the results of the work done in 1996. The 1997-1998 Dugway tests involved the MALDI methodology with a TOF mass spectrometer rather than the ESI ion-trap methodology recommended by the Executive Panel.
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Another possible approach to the detection-identification problem is the German mass spectrometer for detecting chemical and biological warfare agents that was used on a limited basis during the Gulf War. The committee learned that this system all but failed the 1996 Dugway field tests.
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The committee also believes that the recommendations of the Executive Panel should be circulated outside the RTD for comment. This can be accomplished by writing to colleagues in respected mass spectrometry laboratories, convening a discussion group of knowledgeable individuals, or disseminating the Executive Panel's recommendation by any other means that would open them to discussion and examination.
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Strategic vision Category Characteristics · Mission and vision · Strategic planning · Stakeholder buy-in · Leadership Serious deficiencies were found in the Strategic Vision Category, especially the lack of management direction, or leadership. The management should coordinate the efforts of the subgroups toward the achievement of goals and the mission.
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The committee recognizes that the group is not a formal, separate team, but is part of the Chemical Biological Point Detection Team and, therefore, may not have a formal mission statement. Nevertheless, the members of the group must know their mission.
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Nevertheless, the group seems to be reluctant, or very slow, to adopt ESI as the preferred ionization method and the quadrupole ion trap as the analyzer, even though the Executive Panel gave these two items a high priority. The committee observed that the PIs were equipped with a number of MALDI instruments but not ESI.
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Resources and Capabilities Category Characteristics Organizational culture Employee attitude People development Budget/funding RD&E capabilities, skills, and talents Intellectual property Technology sourcing Information technology Facilities and infrastructure Based on information received during the interviews, the committee was disturbed by the lack of interaction among the mass spectrometry subgroups, which have adopted an attitude of protecting information from their colleagues. The committee found that many members of the mass spectrometry group have an independent, competitive attitude that stresses competition rather than a team-oriented, cooperative attitude.
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The committee found little evidence of this formal approach at the group or subgroup level. The lack of attention to detail is reflected in the lack of attention to process management or project management.
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"A critical requirement for a productive centralized basic research unit is the achievement of seamless interfaces between it and decentralized functional laboratories" (p.
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Because of the absence of safety records, the committee could not evaluate the frequency of these disorders, which may occur but may not be recognized. The three mass spectrometry subgroups do not willingly exchange scientific information because they consider each other competitors.
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1 2 3 4 Strategic Vision Strategic planning 2 3 6 Leadership 1 4 12 Value Creation Cycle time and responsiveness 1 2 6 Customer Focus Customer satisfaction 1 3 9 Market diversification 1 3 9 Resources and Capabilities Employee attitude 2 4 8 Budget/funding 3 Intellectual property 1 1 3 Information technology 2 2 4 Quality Focus Continuous improvement 1 3 9 Evaluations end rewards 2 2 4 Regulatory compliance 2 2 4 Process management 1 2 6 Safety 3 4 4 aThe Priority Index, (4 - maturity stage) x importance, shows the relative need for corrective action.
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Successful institutions could also provide performance metrics, effective means for continuously improving processes. Finally, by observing other organizations, especially organizations similar to the mass spectrometry group, the RTD management might be able to find extremely good processes by which to benchmark their own progress.
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Recommendation 3. As soon as possible, the senior management of the Research and Technology Directorate should evaluate, with the assistance of outside experts, the effectiveness of mass spectrometry for detecting and identifying biological agents as other approaches, such as immunological methods, polymerase chain reactions, and other antibody/antigen-based systems.
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Recommendation 5. The scientific capabilities and research projects of all three mass spectrometry subgroups should be evaluated in relation to the recommendations of the Executive Panel to help management make optimum assignments.
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