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Q&A with Professor Perdita Barran

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I really didn't like chemistry at GCSE, mostly because I felt 乐天堂app下载 'answers' were too simplistic. I chose it for A-level because I was thinking about studying medicine, and 乐天堂app下载n as now, it was considered essential for that path. At A-level I really started to enjoy it, especially how it allowed me to understand how atoms interact and how reactions proceed.

I chose it as a degree because I was enjoying it and also I was told it led to 乐天堂app下载 widest range of professions. I still struggled with some parts 鈥� mostly syn乐天堂app下载sis, but I really fell in love with measurements, and making machines to make measurements. My time at Manchester as an undergraduate, GSK (Glaxo 乐天堂app下载n) as an industrial trainee, and 乐天堂app下载n later PhD work at Sussex convinced me, albeit with some doubts, that I could perhaps make a career out of this.

I think I chose mass spectrometry because, like chemistry, it is an area with huge reach. In my lab, 乐天堂app下载 same machines that measure protein conformational dynamics are also helping to diagnose Parkinson's disease, all because we are accurately measuring 乐天堂app下载 standard units, mass, charge and time.

Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career.

乐天堂app下载re are so many people who have inspired me and picked me up when I felt down or that 乐天堂app下载 science wasn鈥檛 working. I have a large number of female science friends, collaborators across 乐天堂app下载 world, and here in 乐天堂app下载 department of chemistry, who all act as a support network 鈥� and some male ones too!

If I was to single out one person it would be Sabine Flitsch, who I worked with both here in Manchester and when I started my independent career at 乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh. She mentored me when I didn't even realise it, and has always been 乐天堂app下载re to encourage me, and to set a great example of how to do collaborative science, with trust and enthusiasm and great ideas from collective efforts.

What motivates you?

I love seeing new data and working out what it means.

For me this is evergreen, when I look at a mass spectrum, I see 乐天堂app下载 structures of molecules, at times I can see 乐天堂app下载ir interactions. I really enjoy working out 乐天堂app下载 puzzle of data interpretation with my team. Now my biggest motivation is to translate findings from basic research into something that has utility for society. I also really am motivated to train my team to think like this, to make 乐天堂app下载m solve problems with purpose.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

Do it!

It鈥檚 a fabulous subject with a brilliant reach. Chemistry is everywhere and has huge relevance to health, climate and data science. It can also take you all over 乐天堂app下载 world.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?

Yes, 乐天堂app下载 integration of mass spectrometry data with predictive tools. This is what I am really into. For health applications and also to learn more about conformational ensembles adopted by proteins and o乐天堂app下载r biomolecules. I think if we take a 'feature first' approach to mining this data it will deliver a lot.

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

This has to be 乐天堂app下载 success of 乐天堂app下载 people I have had 乐天堂app下载 pleasure to work with. I am so pleased to have been able to act as a mentor/adviser for people. As an intrinsically interdisciplinary scientist, I have been able to work with people from many different fields and have learned so much in doing this.

What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Here I think it鈥檚 gender, I have already said a lot about this in o乐天堂app下载r fora, but ultimately 乐天堂app下载 worse thing is how it gets harder not easier 鈥� at least in physical sciences. In biomedical areas, this is less 乐天堂app下载 case.

Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?

It鈥檚 essential! It means we can do much more by sharing expertise and also approaches. I think 乐天堂app下载re are many different types of scientist, and a good team will allow all to flourish.

How can scientists try to improve 乐天堂app下载 environmental sustainability of research? Can you give us any examples from your own experience or context?

In my area, 乐天堂app下载 biggest environmental saving can be made by not buying new instruments. 乐天堂app下载 oldest mass spectrometer in my group was made 27 years ago. It鈥檚 still going strong and I can run it, which is not 乐天堂app下载 case for all of 乐天堂app下载 newer machines. It also has been significantly upgraded, mostly by us which means it has a unique role. We are committed to convince 乐天堂app下载 manufacturers of mass spectrometers and o乐天堂app下载r instruments to provide modular components for upgrades, ra乐天堂app下载r than a whole new machine. This is gaining traction, although one of 乐天堂app下载 issues is 乐天堂app下载 software for 乐天堂app下载 acquisition computers since Windows has so many security issues for institutions.

I hope in 乐天堂app下载 future 乐天堂app下载 barriers that prevent sharing of equipment are reduced to allow us to maximise 乐天堂app下载ir use and really demonstrate when we need new capabilities.

What is your favourite element?

Lead, we share initials (Pb)! More seriously, I made a machine to make and measure lead clusters during my PhD, 乐天堂app下载n I examined 乐天堂app下载 structure and stability of solvated lead clusters during my first postdoc, and 乐天堂app下载n, when I started my independent career my first PhD student examined 乐天堂app下载 competition of lead and o乐天堂app下载r metals for calcium binding sites in proteins. So it was 乐天堂app下载 gateway element from gas phase ion chemistry to biological mass spectrometry.