Interview with our Application Specialist:
Markus Weber
We are excited to introduce our new monthly series, Employee Interviews, where we will dive into the personal experiences, challenges, and insights of our team members. In this first edition, we explore the journey of one of our experts, shedding light on his unique challenges and how he overcame them. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories in the coming months!
What is the most common misconception people have about working in research and development?
I think many people imagine research and development work to be much more straightforward and clear-cut than it actually is. In reality, it’s rare for a single experiment to provide a definitive answer to a question. Instead, it usually raises a multitude of new questions. There are typically dozens of possible influencing factors that could be responsible for a result. To be able to draw meaningful conclusions, experiments usually have to be repeated many times and statistically evaluated. That one „eureka“ moment of discovery is the absolute exception.
What was the most promising idea that ultimately failed – and why?
Ideas fail for a variety of reasons. Most often, simply due to a lack of time. One example of a (provisionally) failed idea is a device that enables universal communication between mass spectrometers, chromatography systems, laser ablation, and other coupling devices from various manufacturers. This would solve one of the biggest challenges for SICRIT®, as the technology enables universal couplings from the hardware side. However, communication between the different devices in the coupling setup is always an individual challenge.
What percentage of your time do you actually spend on innovation, and how much on bureaucracy?
In fact, bureaucracy and everyday tasks take up a large portion of my time. At the moment, I would estimate the time split is about 25% innovation and 75% other tasks.
What unexpected insight from one of your projects surprised you the most?
I was very surprised by how differently various industries approach analytical questions. In some cases, there is a very detailed evaluation of which technique can best solve a specific problem. In other cases, a technique continues to be used simply because it was once introduced, and no one has since checked whether it is still the best available option.
Is there an invention or technology from a completely different field that you would like to integrate into your work?
There are actually quite a few. Due to the diverse application possibilities of the SICRIT technology, we frequently come into contact with other fields. One example is a project where the plasma ion source could be used to simulate chemical reactions in the ionized atmosphere of one of Saturn’s moons.
Turns out, in R&D, you really are shooting for the stars. ;)
Thank you for sharing your valuable insights and experiences with us. We’re excited to continue our journey of #Rethinking mass spectrometry together.