Franz Hillenkamp, Professor emeritus, Westfäliche Wilhelms Universität, Münster, Federal Republic of Germany, has profoundly effected the development and application of mass spectrometry in biology and biochemistry. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) began as Laser-induced Micro Mass Analysis (LAMMA) in Hillenkamp's laboratory. More than any other group, his has opened the world of low-volatility polymers, specifically proteins and nucleic acids, to rapid structural study. In proteomic, identification and detection of post-translational modification has become possible and widespread thanks to these developments.
Hillenkamp received an MS in Electrical Engineering at Purdue University, and both Diploma and PhD in Engineering at Technische Universit㤴München. His thesis work in absolute calibration of pulsed laser energy led directly to his use of pulsed lasers as sampling and excitation sources in mass spectrometry. He held positions at J. W. Goethe Universit㤴 Frankfurt, before moving to Münster. He has held visiting positions at Harvard Medical School, the University of Maryland Münich campus, Universitá di Napoli, Texas A&M University, and Universit㤴Innsbruck. Honors include the1997 Award for Distinguished Contributions in Mass Spectrometry of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (with M. Karas), the 2000 Award for "Molecular Bioanalytics" of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, membership in the Academy of Sciences of the State of Northrhein Westfalia, Germany, and in the current year both the Fresenius Award of the German Chemical Society and the Thompson Medal of the International Mass Spectrometry Society. He has approximately 190 publications, notable for their thoroughness, insight, and impact.