Home
Prof. Fernandez
Research
Group
Publications
Links
Video Repository
.

DART Schematic

 

 

Glenn A. Harris                                                                                              

Office:  ES&T L2-110

Office Phone:  404-385-4427

E-mail: Glenn.Harris@gatech.edu

 

Education

Aug 2007 - Present   Georgia Institute of Technology, Ph.D. Student, Analytical Chemistry

2007                       University of South Florida, B.Sc. Biology, B.A. Chemistry

 

Honors and Awards

2008 Honorable Mention National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

2007-Current Georgia Institute of Technology Presidential Fellow

2007 USF Dept. of Chemistry Most Outstanding Bachelor’s of Arts

2006 Castle Conference 3rd Place Poster Session

2006 USF Dept. of Chemistry Outstanding Analytical Chemistry Award

2005-2007 USF Dept. of Chemistry Honor Roll

2003-2007 USF Honor’s College, USF Honors and Presidential Scholarship Recipient

 

Research Interests

Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) Ionization.

Mass Spectrometry is one of the most powerful tools in modern bioanalytical chemistry, proteomics and environmental chemistry. Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS) now enable us to probe the chemical composition of complex samples in the open air, under atmospheric conditions, and in their native environment. Direct analysis in real time (DART) utilizes metastables generated in a glow discharge plasma to induce chemical ionization. Metastables of either singly-excited state helium (23S He, 19.8 eV) or nitrogen (N2) gas can be generated from this glow discharge. After exiting the glow discharge region, a jet of these metastables react with water vapor in the atmosphere via a Penning ionization mechanism. Protonated water clusters are formed, and collide with the sample resulting in ionization. Very little is understood, however with the steps involved in this process, and on the energetic requirements necessary to obtain measurable desorption and ionization rates without fragmentation. Understanding the phenomena behind DART will expand the capabilities of the technique.

 

My work focuses on measuring the internal energy deposition of thermometer molecules, portable DART instrumentation, applications of DART (i.e. counterfeit drug detection), coupling DART to other well established analytical techniques, and computer modeling utilizing finite element method software.

Publications

  1. "Multiplexed Ion Mobility Spectrometry and Ion Molbility-Mass Spectrometry", in Ion Mobility Spectroscopy - Mass Spectrometry: Theory and Applications. Glenn A. Harris*, M. Kwasnik*, F. M. Fernandez, 2009, In preparation. *Authors contributed equally to this work
  2. "Comparison of the Internal Energy Deposition of Direct Analysis in Real Time and Electrospray Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Ionization Techniques", Glenn A. Harris, D. M. Hostetler, C. Y. Hamption, F. M. Fernandez, 2009, In preparation.
  3. "Medications for Sexual Health Obtained From Non-Medical Sources: A Need for Increased Access Healthcare and Education Among Immigrant Latinos In the Rural Southeastern USA", S. D. Rhodes, Glenn A. Harris, D. M. Hostetler, J. S. Leitchliter, F. M. Fernandez, A. T. Vissman, 2009, In preparation.
  4. "Combining Two-Dimensional Diffusion-Ordered Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Imaging Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry for the Integral Investigation of Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals", L. Nyadong*, Glenn A. Harris*, S. Balayssac*, A. S. Galhena*, M. Malet-Martino, R. Martino, R. M. Parry, M. D. Wang, F. M. Fernandez, V. Gilard, Analytical Chemistry, 2009, Submitted *Authors contributed equally to this work
  5. "Simulations and experimental investigation of atmospheric transport in an ambient metastable-induced chemical ionization source", Glenn A. Harris and Facundo M. Fernandez, Anal. Chem., 2009, 81, 322-329.
  6. "Recent Developments in Ambient Ionization Techniques for High-Throughput Mass Spectrometry", Glenn A. Harris, Leonard Nyadong, Facundo M. Fernandez, invited highlight article to The Analyst, 2008, 133(10), 1297-1301.