The ASMS John B. Fenn Award goes to Jack Henion

MS (LC–MS/MS, HRMS, IMS) News Professional development

The John B. Fenn Award for Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry recognizes a focused or singular achievement in fundamental or applied mass spectrometry and is named to honor the memory of John B. Fenn, who shared the 2002 Nobel Prize for the development of electrospray ionization.

The American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS; New Mexico, USA) awarded the 2025 John B. Fenn Award to Jack Henion for the conception, development and application of pneumatically assisted electrospray ionization. Commonly known as “nebulizer-assisted electrospray”, the invention has profoundly shaped the practical integration of liquid chromatography (LC) with mass spectrometry (MS) for nearly 4 decades. Co-invented in 1987 at Cornell University (NY, USA) by Jack Henion, Thomas R. Covey and Andries P. Bruins, this breakthrough laid the foundation for commercial LC–MS ion sources such as the Turbo IonSpray™. It also enabled the widespread adoption of atmospheric pressure ionization techniques on quadrupole mass spectrometers and beyond.

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Upon receiving the award, Jack delivered an inspiring talk that revisited the early challenges of coupling LC to MS and traced the evolution of the field. From the initial days of direct liquid introduction to the development of nebulizer-assisted electrospray, he highlighted key milestones and applications — including its pivotal role in several landmark forensic cases — offering a compelling narrative of LC–MS innovation and impact.

When asked about receiving the John B. Fenn award, Jack commented:

“I am deeply honored to have received the John B. Fenn award for Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry by the ASMS. To be recognized by one’s peers is a meaningful and wonderful experience for which I will be forever grateful. This award would not have been possible without the creative and innovative contributions of my many Cornell graduate students and postdoctoral research associates. I will forever remain humbly honored and proud to be a recipient of this award.”

Jack Henion being presented with the ASMS John B. Fenn Award for Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry on 2 June 2025 by Joseph A. Loo (UCLA; USA).