EU FT-ICR MS proposal aims to establish a European network of FT-ICR (Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance) mass spectrometry (MS) centers in association with a manufacturer and a SME software company. Mass spectrometry (MS) has become the most ubiquitous analytical techniques in use today, providing more information on the composition and the structure of a substance from a smaller amount of sample than any other techniques.

Unlike other analytical techniques, such as NMR, which mainly rely on a unique technology, MS is characterized by the existence of a large range of mass analyzers. FT-ICR MS is the most powerful MS technique. It offers up to 100 fold higher mass resolving power and mass accuracy than any other MS technique. On the contrary to NMR community with which the FT-ICR MS shares several features, FT-ICR MS has never been involved in a European INFRA network and so will be a legitimate candidate to the Integrating Activities for Starting Communities call. 

The EU FT-ICR MS network includes 10 FT-ICR MS centers from 8 different European countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and United Kingdom) and 1 third country (Russia), a European FT-ICR MS manufacturer and 2 SMEs. It includes centers equipped with up-to-date FT-ICR MS and expertise which will cover most of the field in which FT-ICR mass spectrometry is involved: BioOrganic & BioInorganic, Cultural heritage, Glycomics, Environment, Imaging, InfraRed Spectroscopy of Ions in the Gas Phase, Lipidomics, Medicine, Petroleum & Coal Oil, Nanoparticles, Organic chemistry, Physical chemistry, Proteomics, Structural biology. 

The EU FT-ICR MS proposal contains six work-packages which cover all the aspects of the INFRAIA-02-2017 (RIA) Integrating Activities for Starting Communities (WP1 Transnational access; WP2 Training and Education; WP3 Open Data and e-Infrastructure; WP 4 Joint Research Action; WP 5 Dissemination; WP6 Consortium management).

The Project has 4 objectives :

1. Provide the EU academic, SME and industrial communities’ with access to world-class FT-ICR MS centers.

2. Build an EU community of end-users and FT-ICR MS scientists.

3. Open access to data and open source software to the EU FT-ICR MS network.

4. Strengthen the FT-ICR MS application fields by promoting innovative and cooperative research between European FT-ICR MS academic scientists and private companies(instrumentation and software).