The Biemann Medal recognizes a significant achievement in basic or applied mass spectrometry made by an individual early in his or her career. Nominees should be within 15 years of receipt of the Ph.D. at the time they are nominated.  The award is presented in honor of Professor Klaus Biemann whose lasting legacy is the training of students and postdoctoral associates over a 40-year period at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Biemann Medal is endowed by contributions from students, postdoctoral associates and friends of Professor Biemann. Eligibility is not restricted to members of ASMS. The award is conferred at the ASMS Annual Conference with the presentation of the Biemann Medal and a cash award of $5,000. Nominations must be renewed each year.  Watch video on Klaus Biemann and the history of the ASMS Biemann Medal on YouTube.

2011 Recipient: Béla Paizs

Tandem mass spectrometric analysis of peptides, a vital element of proteomics, requires a deep understanding of the complex fragmentation reaction networks occurring in mass spectrometers under various excitation conditions. The focused efforts of Béla Paizs have led to detailed characterization of peptide product ion structures and dissociation mechanisms, and have demonstrated that the principle characteristics of peptide collision-induced dissociation spectra can be understood with basic physical and chemical laws. Paizs´ work combines various experimental techniques (e.g., MS/MS, “action” infrared multiphoton dissociation, ion mobility spectrometry, gas-phase H/D-exchange) with state-of-the-art theoretical methods. “Raw” experimental data (fragmentation patterns, IR spectra, collision cross-sections, etc.) are processed with the help of advanced modeling and provides invaluable structural, thermodynamic, and kinetic data on peptide fragmentation chemistry. Among other achievements, Paizs has characterized the major fragmentation pathways leading to b, y, and a ions, the scrambling chemistry of b fragments, and very recently, he has described a new rearrangement pathway for a fragments. His work has unified diverse dissociation mechanisms into a comprehensive peptide fragmentation model. These achievements have substantially advanced the field of peptide characterization and provide a solid scientific background for developing improved bioinformatics tools for peptide sequencing in mainstream proteomics.

Dr. Béla Paizs is Group Leader, Gas-phase Peptide Chemistry Group at the German Cancer Research Center.