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CHEMICAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION FRANZ HILLENKAMP Transcript Of CHEMICAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION FRANZ HILLENKAMP Transcript of Interviews Conducted by Michael A. Grayson at University of Münster Münster, Germany on 20 August 2012 (With Subsequent Corrections and Additions) ACKNOWLEDGMENT This oral history is one in a series initiated by the Chemical Heritage Foundation on behalf of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. The series documents the personal perspectives of individuals related to the advancement of mass spectrometric instrumentation, and records the human dimensions of the growth of mass spectrometry in academic, industrial, and governmental laboratories during the twentieth century. This project is made possible through the generous support of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. CHEMICAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION Center for Oral History FINAL RELEASE FORM This document contains my understanding and agreement with the Chemical Heritage Foundation and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry with respect to my participation in the audio- and/or video- recorded interview conducted by Michael Grayson on 20 August 2012. I have read the transcript supplied by the Chemical Heritage Foundation. 1. The recordings, transcripts, photographs, research materials, and memorabilia (collectively called the “Work”) will be maintained by the Chemical Heritage Foundation and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry and made available in accordance with general policies for research and other scholarly purposes. 2. I hereby grant, assign, and transfer to the Chemical Heritage Foundation and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry all right, title, and interest in the Work, including the literary rights and the copyright, except that I shall retain the right to copy, use, and publish the Work in part or in full until my death. 3. The manuscript may be read and the recording(s) heard/viewed by scholars approved by the Chemical Heritage Foundation or the American Society for Mass Spectrometry unless restrictions are placed on the transcript as listed below. This constitutes my entire and complete understanding. (Signature) FRANZ HILLENKAMP (Date) November 14, 2013 OPTIONAL: I wish to place the following restrictions on the use of this interview: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Regardless of any restrictions that may be placed on the transcript of the interview, the Chemical Heritage Foundation retains the rights to all materials generated about my oral history interview, including the title page, abstract, table of contents, chronology, index, et cetera (collectively called the “Front Matter and Index”), all of which will be made available on the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry’s respective websites. Should the Chemical Heritage Foundation or the American Society for Mass Spectrometry wish to post to the Internet the content of the oral history interview, that is, direct quotations, audio clips, video clips, or other material from the oral history recordings or the transcription of the recordings, the Chemical Heritage Foundation and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry will be bound by the restrictions for use placed on the Work as detailed above. Should the Chemical Heritage Foundation or the American Society for Mass Spectrometry wish to post to the Internet the entire oral history interview during my lifetime, I will have the opportunity to permit or deny this posting. I understand that the Chemical Heritage Foundation and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry will enforce my wishes until the time of my death, when any restrictions will be removed. Revised 7/31/2013 This oral history is designated Free Access. Please note: Users citing this interview for purposes of publication are obliged under the terms of the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) Center for Oral History to credit CHF using the format below: Franz Hillenkamp, interview by Michael A. Grayson at the University of Münster, Münster, Germany, 20 August 2012 (Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Foundation, Oral History Transcript # 0704). Chemical Heritage Foundation Center for Oral History 315 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106 The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) serves the community of the chemical and molecular sciences, and the wider public, by treasuring the past, educating the present, and inspiring the future. CHF maintains a world-class collection of materials that document the history and heritage of the chemical and molecular sciences, technologies, and industries; encourages research in CHF collections; and carries out a program of outreach and interpretation in order to advance an understanding of the role of the chemical and molecular sciences, technologies, and industries in shaping society. FRANZ HILLENKAMP 1936 Born in Essen, Germany, on 18 March Education 1961 MS, Electrical Engineering, Purdue University 1962 Diploma, Electrical Engineering, Technische Universität München 1966 PhD, Electrical Engineering, Technische Universität München Professional Experience Universität München, Germany 1962-1963 Research Assistant, Institut für Strahlenbiologie (Institute for Radiation Biology) Gesellschaft für Strahlen und Umweltforschung (National Laboratory for Radiation and Environmental Research), München, Germany 1963-1968 Research Scientist University of Maryland, Munich Campus, München, Germany 1963-1976 Part-time Lecturer of Physics Gesellschaft für Strahlen und Umweltforschung, München, Germany 1968-1976 Deputy Head, Department of Coherent Optics 1976-1986 Research Consultant J.W. Goethe Universität, Frankfurt, Germany 1982-1986 Professor, Medical Faculty Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 1985-2006 Visiting Professor Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 1985-2014 Research Physicist Università degli Studi di Napoli, Napoli, Italy 1986 Visiting Professor, Seconda Facoltà di Medicina Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 1999 Visiting Professor Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria 2000 Visiting Professor Sequenom Inc., San Diego, California 2001-2014 Chief Consultant, Mass Spectrometry University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois 2003 G. Frederick Memorial Lecture Honors 1997 Award for Distinguished Contributions in Mass Spectrometry of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 2000 Award for “Molecular Bioanalytics” of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie 2001 Wolfgang Paul Lecture, German Society for Mass Spectrometry 2001 Member, Academy of Sciences of the State of North Rhein-Westphalia Germany 2003 Award for "Outstanding Contributions to Biomolecular Technologies and Applications" of the Association of Bioanalytical Research Facilities (ABRF) 2003 Thompson Medal of the International Mass Spectrometry Society. 2003 Fresenius Award of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) 2003 Beckurts Preis of the German Helmholtz Association 2006 Torbern Bergman Medal of the Swedish Chemical Society 2011 Caroline and William Mark Memorial Award of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery 2012 Honorary Member, German Society for Mass Spectrometry ABSTRACT Franz Hillenkamp was born in Essen, Germany, one of four children. The family, except for the father, who had to remain in Essen because he was a judge, soon moved to Düns, Austria, because of World War II. Hillenkamp’s early life in the mountains inspired a lasting love of mountains and mountain sports. After the War the family moved back to Germany to live with Franz’s maternal grandmother. Hillenkamp credits his grandmother with much of his love of learning. Having chosen the science and math track in the Gymnasium Hillenkamp went on to major in electrical engineering at Technische Universität München (TUM). He interrupted his diploma thesis on vacuum systems to accept a Fulbright Scholarship to Purdue University, where he obtained a master’s degree. Returning to TUM he finished his thesis and married. Hillenkamp’s first job was with the Federal Department of Science and Technology, where he taught himself lasers and worked with them for fourteen years. During this time he also got his PhD, writing his thesis on energy meters for Q-switch lasers. Hillenkamp met Raimund Kaufmann and the two began a long-lasting collaboration; eventually this collaboration led Hillenkamp and Michael Karas to the invention of, first, laser-induced microprobe mass analysis, or LAMMA; and then matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, or MALDI, which has been profoundly important in biology. Researching the safety of lasers led Hillenkamp to found a laser-tissue interaction laboratory; this lab became the prototype for the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Hillenkamp held a position at J. W. Goethe Universität in Frankfurt before moving to the University of Münster, where he became chair and Director of the Department of Medical Physics and Biophysics. At that time Münster was considered the center of mass spectrometry in Germany. Hillenkamp has also held visiting positions at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Università degli Studi di Napoli, University of Maryland in Munich, and other places. He talks about the many important changes to mass spectrometry, including FAB, SIMS, and electrospray, and their influence on biology and medicine. He laughingly describes the contortions needed to install his first LAMMA in the Deutsches Museum; he
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