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 The San Francisco Bay Area Mass Spectrometry (BAMS) discussion group

Wednesday, December 6, 2006
6:00 pm to 9:30 pm

Crowne Plaza
Foster City, CA

Dinner reservations required by noon on Friday December 1, 2006

The Discovery Side of Clinical Biomarkers

Dr. Christopher Becker
Executive Director of Chemistry
PPD Inc., Menlo Park, CA

Abstract
PPD, Inc., a contract research organization for the pharmaceutical industry, provides large-scale profiling of proteins and metabolites from small amounts of biological fluids and tissues to enhance the process of drug discovery and development, and find markers of disease and disease progression.  Both small discovery-oriented projects and large clinical studies are undertaken. 
 
PPD has developed a state-of-the-art differential expression profiling technology using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for tracking and identifying thousands of proteins and metabolites in animal and human samples.  The platform employs a variety of one- and two-dimensional chromatographies in an industrialized process, with extensive quality control measures and detailed SOPs.  A novel self-normalizing quantification strategy obviates the need for isotopic labels or spiked standards.
 
A brief review of the technology will be presented, followed by two clinical case studies.  One study might serve as a model for how to properly discover a clinically relevant biomarker, while the other is an example of what not to do. 

Background
Dr. Becker trained in physical chemistry at University of California at Berkeley (Ph.D., 1979) after receiving a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Columbia University (1974).  He was then a postdoctoral fellow in chemistry and physics at M.I.T.  Prior to joining PPD (through the acquisition of SurroMed), Dr. Becker held management positions at Thermo Electron Corp. and GeneTrace Systems, and for 15 years was a Staff Scientist at SRI International.  Before focusing on protein and metabolite analysis, he led research efforts on DNA mass spectrometry and surface analysis by photoionization.

Meeting details
Date: Wednesday    December 6, 2006
Time: 6:00 pm Social hour, registration (no-host cocktails)

7:00 pm Dinner

8:15 pm Discussions
Dinner:  featuring:  New York Sirloin of Beef with Au Poivre Sauce


Chicken Saltimbuca Proscuitto & Provolone Cheese


Jumbo Cheese Ravioli-Lobster Sauce
Cost:
$30
 BAMS members*

$40
 Non-members

$60
 BAMS membership plus dinner cost

$15
 Students only

$300
 2006 Corporate Sponsors


Dinner reservations required by noon on Wednesday, December 6, 2006

*Note:  BAMS memberships are for the calendar year and should be renewed with the first event you attend in 2006.  Dues ($30.00) may be paid while registering for dinner.  If you are unsure of your Membership status, please email Carol Soppe.

Maps & directions

Crowne Plaza
1221 Chess Dr.
Foster City, CA 94404
(650) 570-5700
maps.google.com directions

Did you see or hear about the BAMS talk by Professor Murayama entitled "What is Mass?"  What is it we are measuring after all?  Check it out!  Go to ctp.berkeley.edu and click on "Popular Talks & Articles" for a QuickTime file.

As a service to our members, we post Employment postings.

As a trial service to our members, we are now posting Situations Wanted.  (Note: BAMS isn't a career center and will only post brief positions wanted for BAMS members only).

The San Francisco Bay Area Mass Spectrometry discussion group was formed in 1980 to provide a regular gathering for people interested in mass spectrometry and allied topics. BAMS currently has a membership of about 280 individual and 20 corporate members, and meets 8-10 times per year for a midweek dinner and lecture.  Meetings attract between 30 and 90 people, and are held at a restaurant or hotel in the bay area convenient for our speaker.  We usually convene at 6:00 pm for cocktails, dinner at 7:00 pm, and lecture at 8:15 pm.

If you have suggestions for a meeting topic, or know of a prominent mass spectrometrist who will be visiting the bay area, please contact our program chair.

To become a member, please fill out and mail in a membership form.
BAMS has been fortunate to have had many excellent speakers in our short history.
If you have suggestions for a meeting topic please contact our program chair.
If you have questions or comments about BAMS, please contact one of the BAMS officers.
Please thank our corporate sponsors who help keep BAMS membership and dinner costs low.
Here are some internet links that may be of interest to BAMS members.
 

If you have comments or suggestions for this web site, please email me at hugh-gregg@llnl.gov

Last update: 12/4/2006