I’ve worked with mass spectrometry for about a decade now, and the one conclusion I have is that it should be easier. Anyone who has worked with a mass spec can probably relate to the common issues we all face from sample prep to establishing “good” electrospray (jargon: electrospray is how you introduce samples into a mass spec). For those of you who don’t use mass spec, suffice to say many hours can be spent solving “silly” problems like leaking fittings or clogged tubes. The data we present at conferences and in journals is often the result of just a couple “perfect days” in the lab where everything aligned. What if every day was a “good day” in the lab?

I also have been mesmerized (and at times frustrated) over the last ten years at the potential mass spectrometry holds. Thanks to the help of smart researchers who I had the privilege to work with, we have shown that mass spec can be used to probe some of the most challenging biological systems, e.g., advanced cell-therapies. Mass spec is sensitive, and it is untargeted – which means it can discover key biomolecules even if you weren’t looking for them. If you couple mass spec directly to a dynamic biological system, you can understand how that system is changing in time.

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If we want to advance the field of biotherapies, we need to develop better tools, and mass spec is a great place to start. There’s a lot of smart folks who rely on mass spec spending too much time dealing with “simple problems” like sample prep instead of putting their energy towards the “important problems” like whether this drug candidate is the next block-buster cancer therapeutic. As a mechanical engineer by training, I’m obsessed with creating better solutions to existing problems. The problem with mass spec is it’s held back by tedious workflows.

When I launched Andson in early 2022, it was just me in a studio apartment – no prototype, no lab. By June 2nd, we will have grown to a team of 6 full-time (plus 2 interns!). We have 2 private labs, a beautiful office, and most importantly, a new DynaCHIP prototype along with outstanding new data that we will be showcasing at ASMS 2024.‍

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DynaCHIP is a flow-through sample-prep solution that enables high-throughput mass spectrometry. The core technology was developed by myself, Austin Culberson (principal engineer @ Andson) and Andrei Fedorov (Co-founder @ Andson) while at Georgia Tech and we continue to obsessively optimize the technology to this day. We have made tremendous progress over the past year developing the DynaCHIP alongside our earliest collaborators. Now, the DynaCHIP is at a state where we are ready to deploy the system into more labs. If you’re interested in learning more about our early-access program either connect with us at ASMS 2024 or reach out to info@andsonbiotech.com.