Proposal submitted and ~400 browser tabs closed. Not sure which one makes me happier.

OK DORKS, I HAVE DATA FOR YOU. Here is the party split on emails to members of Congress about the OMB rule proposal. We really need more yelling at R's! They can say they don't know about the rule if we don't ✨ensure✨ they have heard about it. TAKE ACTION HERE: fight2win.standupforscience.net

Have you ever wanted to build a mass spectrometer but don’t know where to start? Good news! We’ve made an open-source one. Come here all about it at #asms2026. I’ll be talking at 8:30 on Wednesday (WOH am) and we have two posters (TP 364, and ThP 366). Plus, ways for you to get involved!

Calibrated our open-source MS today with @timothybertram.bsky.social. LOD is well under 100ppt for dimethyl sulfide. More info to come at #asms2026. Time to start doing some atmospheric measurements!

Exciting news! Our open source mass spectrometer saw its first ions this week. Still a lot of work to do, but a full characterization and schematics should be available by #ASMS2026. Message me if you’d like more details.

This is what’s known as a “curl up with the dog and a good book” kind of day.

We built some open source photo reactors and implemented them into the organic teaching lab here at Bradley. This was a fun project led mainly by the undergraduate students! Check it out: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Open-Source Photochemistry in the Organic Chemistry Teaching Laboratory

We report the development of an undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory exercise that utilizes a set of low-cost, open-source photoreactors to introduce students to photochemical principles. A seri...

pubs.acs.org

If you’re at #ASMS2025 come stop by my poster (ThP304) to learn about how we hacked an RGA to measure trace atmospheric species using low cost RF oscillator circuits!

A bit late this year, but I’m on my way to #ASMS2025. Come see my poster on Thursday (TP304) to learn about hacking a commercial RGA into an atmospheric mass spectrometer!

PhD Timeline xkcd.com/3081

Great job tonight Wisconsin. Sorry I couldn’t be there to help, but glad to see things moving in the right direction.

The ACS has deleted its website on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Respect. And with that move, have shown they are worthy of none of the latter. People ask why no-one stands up to fascists, this is why - they are too worried about their own standing to challenge it. www.acs.org/about/divers...

I feel validated as an instrument builder when this shows up unannounced

**screams in early career scientist**

Ever wanted to apply RF voltages to an ion guide or funnel without all that messy resonance matching and co-axial cables? Check out my groups first publication, in which we modify the open-source Wisconsin Oscillator to mount directly to the vacuum flange #teammassspec pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

A Hybrid Vacuum Flange RF Oscillator for Low-Cost Mass Spectrometry

In this communication we report the construction of a printed circuit board which mounts directly to the vacuum chamber of a mass spectrometer and produces the RF waveforms needed by many nonmass-selective devices such as ion guides and ion funnels. Our device is designed to replace a standard KF40 flange, can maintain vacuum chamber pressures of less than 10–6 Torr, and contains the circuitry of the open-source Wisconsin Oscillator RF power supply to generate RF waveforms of 1–4 MHz and up to 200 Vp-p. In this iteration of the Wisconsin Oscillator, we also introduce a variable resistor to control the output RF amplitude and show that its ion transmission capabilities are identical to those provided by commercial RF power supplies. With this new implementation we have greatly reduced the space and monetary requirements for driving nonmass-selective ion manipulation devices, which we expect to be advantageous to those developing low-cost and/or portable mass spectrometry systems.

pubs.acs.org

Unpleasant surprise after thanksgiving. Motor bearing on the mass spec vacuum blew out over break 😢

Hello #chemsky! I'm an Assistant Professor at Bradley University and I teach Analytical Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis. I also work on building miniature (and open source) mass spectrometry hardware. Keep your eyes peeled for a full open source MS in the next year or so!