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Eberlin, Marcos Nogueira

Brazilian Journal of Analytical Chemistry

English

Repositorio da Producao Cientifica e Intelectual da Unicamp

UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE CAMPINAS
SISTEMA DE BIBLIOTECAS DA UNICAMP
REPOSITÓRIO DA PRODUÇÃO CIENTIFICA E INTELECTUAL DA UNICAMP
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©2017 by Brazilian Journal of Analytical Chemistry. All rights reserved.
DIRETORIA DE TRATAMENTO DA INFORMAÇÃO
Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz Barão Geraldo
CEP 13083-970 – Campinas SP
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Interview
Br. J. Anal. Chem., 2017, 4 (14), pp 2-4
2
Professor Marcos Eberlin, who is the chief executive 
of the Brazilian Society of Mass Spectrometry, 
recently spoke to BrJAC about his work
Marcos Nogueira Eberlin
Full Professor at the Organic Chemistry Department of the Institute of Chemistry, 
University of Campinas (UNICAMP), SP, BR
eberlin@iqm.unicamp.br / http://thomson.iqm.unicamp.br
  At the head of the ThoMSon Laboratory, located at the Institute of Chemistry, University of 
Campinas, SP, BR, the Brazilian, chemist, scientist, Professor Marcos Eberlin, maintains an active 
presence in the national and international scientific community. At the height of its 25 years, the 
laboratory has trained about 200 students, who now work in their own MS laboratories in 
universities or as MS specialists in companies in Brazil and worldwide. In addition, some 800 
papers have already been published, which makes ThoMson a reference in MS in the world.
   With a vivid personality, Eberlin motivates everyone with his positive energy and joy of living. 
The passion for chemistry came as a child, when a teacher showed him how fascinating chemistry 
can be. Since then he has traced his way into the world of chemistry, specializing in mass 
spectrometry. Also to his pride, his daughter Dr. Lívia Eberlin followed in his footsteps and has 
been conquering his space. Graduated from UNICAMP, she received several awards, including the 
Nobel Laureate Signature Award 2014 from the American Chemical Society – a coveted prize, 
which bears the signature of all Nobel laureates in chemistry. A Brazilian researcher has never 
before won this award.
   Dr. Eberlin is also an award-winning researcher. He recently had the honor of being the first 
Latin American scientist to receive the J.J. Thomson medal. The medal is the main honor of the 
mass spectrometry area in the world, offered by the International Foundation of Mass Spectrometry 
(IMSF). He also received the award “Zeferino Vaz de Reconhecimento Acadêmico” (2002) and the 
Scopus-Capes Award (2008) for excellence in publications and staff training.
    Another line of research advocated by him is the theory of Intelligent Design. Since 2014 he has 
been president of the Brazilian Society of Intelligent Design. This theory analyzes the latest 
scientific data on the events that gave birth to the Universe and to living beings. The researchers 
evaluate the feasibility against the data, of two possible causes for the Universe and Life: natural 
forces or the action of an intelligent mind. The theory then maintains, after this careful analysis, 
that the characteristics of the Universe and living beings are contrary to the action of natural 
processes, and better explained by an intelligent cause.
    Marcos Eberlin is currently chief executive of the Brazilian Society of Mass Spectrometry 
(BrMASS), which today represents Brazilian mass spectrometry. He is also an associate editor of 
Jounal of Mass Spectrometry (JMS) of John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
 
How your career as a chemist started? And what motivated you to be a chemist?
    When I was about to finish first grade, I had a chemistry teacher who showed to me how fascinating 
chemistry is, talking about the use of it in many aspects of our daylife. I was also given a very special
game as a birthday gift that was called “O Pequeno Químico” [The Little Chemist] and I was again 
fascinated with the simple but beautiful chemistry that this minilab showed to me. Then for high school I 
enter a technical course at the “Colégio Técnico Industrial Conselheiro Antonio Prado – COTICAP” in 
Campinas, SP, BR and my carrier started.
Interview
3
    What could you say about your supervisor, Graham Cooks from Purdue University, USA? How 
important he was in your career? 
    Graham Cooks is - for me - by far the most talented mass spectrometrist ever. He is amazing, and has 
made numerous contributions to MS in many different fields by using many different approaches. He is a 
great inventor, his mind is always full of great ideas, and a master in detecting new opportunities and the 
best way to solve analytical problems. He is also a great leader, giving to his students all the freedom to 
think, to plan and to make things happen. Students at his hands are formed as researchers, not 
technicians. He is the best! I have learned from him most of what I am as a supervisor, and group leader, 
and I am always trying to follow his footsteps when thinking of new ways to develop MS.
    What is your opinion about analytical chemistry? What advice would you give to a freshman 
analytical chemist?
    Analytical chemistry is the art – I believe – to reveal in details the chemical composition of a sample. In 
regard to MS, analytical chemistry is the art of going to the molecular and atomic level and inspecting a 
sample with the “hands” of a mass spectrometer. 
   Everything in the material universe is made of atoms and 
molecules for “everything is chemistry”! Analytical Chemistry is 
therefore a very exciting journey into revealing the molecular 
secrets of our Universe, from nature to all man-made products! 
It is indeed a great adventure and a very rewarding field 
in science. For the freshman I would say: discover new ways to 
“see” the ballet of molecules and atoms that compose the 
chemistry of our life and universe! Innovate! Try the craziest 
ideas! Make things as simple as possible in a way that brings 
analytical chemistry to all!
    What studies are you current doing in you major research fields: “Fundamental Studies in MS” 
and “MS techniques and its applications”? 
    I think by far the most relevant and innovative studies are in the development of new analytical protocols 
in clinical and microbiology diagnosis. Recently we developed a new MS protocol for fast and secure 
characterization of different fungi that attacks the cacao plantations in Brazil causing serious diseases as 
that known as “vassoura de bruxa”. We also have developed an automate MS protocol for screening 
uterus cancer that could be used by pathologist to replace the tedious eye-inspection procedures they 
use today in the Papanicolau (Pap) testing.
    As the founder and current president of the Brazilian MS society, and the organizer of its 
conferences that became of the largest in the world, what is your feeling about analytical chemistry 
conferences in Brazil?
    Science is made by people, and is made in a much better way if such people know well each other and 
decide to get together summing their abilities and instruments in the pursuit of joint projects. 
Collaborations are the best strategy to countries where research funds are little to make the best possible 
use of funds. And there is no better way to motivate collaborations via conferences, and large conferences. 
Brazil should invest heavily in this area. 
    What is your opinion about Brazilian mass spectrometry? 
    If one looks back to 1990, MS in Brazil was nearly no-existing. Only a few brave pioneers doing their 
best. But in two decades Brazilian mass spectrometry has tremendously flourished and is today very 
active with numerous mass spectrometrits working in Brazil in various fields, from analytical chemistry to 
biochemistry, clinical and medical applications, material science, forensics, natural products, organic 
chemistry, proteomics, fuel chemistry and so on. We currently count close to 3.5% of all MS Science in the 
world!
    In your opinion what is the future of MS and what is the major contribution is still to offer to
Professor Marcos Eberlin in the
ThoMSon Lab. Photo: Luciene Campos
Interview
analytical chemistry? 
    I have no doubt here: we need to make mass spectrometers as easy to use and as cheap as a mobile 
phone! And the MS data as simple to interpret as an ordinary image. I use to say: “An image is worth a 
thousand spectra”. And there are many mass spectrometrists in Brazil and around the world pursuing this 
dream!
st    Last year during the 21  International MS Conference in Toronto - Canada, you received the 
Thomson medal. What could you say about it? 
    It was a tremendous honor for me but particularly to all scientists in South America and Brazil; particularly 
to all analytical chemists, and most particularly to all mass spectrometrists. The Thonsom medal is the 
greatest award one could be given in MS. If you look at previous winners, the list shows many great 
scientist including Nobel Prize winners. I received the medal but the medal was the international recognition 
of a great number of people and institutions in Brazil that contribute for the creation of the ThoMSon 
laboratory at UNICAMP and provided a perfect environment in which we could explore the chemical world 
with the hands of a mass spectrometer.
    How was the experience to be president of the international MS society from 2009 up to 2014? 
In 2020, the international MS conference will be for the first time ever in South America, that is in 
Brazil (Rio de Janeiro). What is your feeling about this conference?
    To preside IMSF was for me also a great honor and pleasure. I decide to “change the face” of IMSF and 
stwas able to implement several new programs such as the international MS schools (the 1  was in Siena, 
nd
Italy with a large delegation of Brazilian students and the 2  was organized in Natal, Brazil) and was 
responsible to implement International MS conferences “outside Europe”. I, as the IMSF president, 
nd
presided the first ever IMSC conference in Kyoto, Japan and the election committee for the 2  in Toronto, 
Canada. I – as the BrMASS president – also presided the committee that get the IMSF approval to hold
rdthe 3  international MS conference in Rio - 2020. This conference will be great and historical. BrMASS 
plans to organize the largest and best ever MS conference in Rio 2020 and we have started plans and 
actions to do it!
th st
    The 6  BrMASS (Brazilian MS conference) was last year organized in conjunction with the 1  
Ibero American MS conference. As a BrMASS founder and its current president, how important it 
was to organize these joint conferences? 
rd
   The BrMASS conferences have become the 3  largest MS conferences in the world but by attracting 
people mainly from Brazil and South America. Last year, despite the strong economic and political crisis in 
Brazil, we dared to make the conference larger and a little more international and proposed to a number 
of Ibero American societies to join us. It was again a great success! Close to 1500 people attended the 
conference and they all enjoyed it very much! Lecture rooms were full of people and the atmosphere was 
of great enthusiasm and optimism. The conference place in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro is outstanding 
an in all, a superb environment for new and international collaborations was stetted up which is certainly 
to produce major gains for the further development of MS in Brazil.
    You are the founder of the ThoMSon laboratory at UNICAMP. Last year the lab turned 25 years 
old. How were those 25 years there? 
    We started literally from scratch. There was no lab, no walls, no roofs. Only an empty field. There was 
also no instruments, no students. But we dreamed a giant dream and worked hard to make it true! In the 
th
celebration of the 25  anniversary of the ThoMSon laboratory it was a great pleasure to look back in time 
and see how much we did. A great selection of state-of-the-art instrumentation in MS. Close to 200 
students graduated from the lab and a large new generation of Brazilian mass spectrometrists were 
formed, and are now working in their own MS laboratories in universities or as MS experts in companies 
in Brazil and worldwide. We have exported mass spectrometrist to USA, South America and Europe. We 
developed many new MS techniques. We published close to 800 manuscripts. We established the 
ThoMSon lab as a reference center for MS in the world. It was unthinkable but we made it!
4


Professor Marcos Eberlin, who is the chief executive of the Brazilian Society of Mass Spectrometry, recently spoke to BrJAC about his work

http://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/bitstream/REPOSIP/358128/1/000417463600002.pdf

Professor Marcos Eberlin, who is the chief executive of the Brazilian Society of Mass Spectrometry, recently spoke to BrJAC about his work

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