The San Francisco Bay Area Mass Spectrometry discussion group was formed in 1980 to provide a regular gathering for people interested in mass spectrometry and allied topics. BAMS currently has a membership of nearly 300 with over 20 corporate members and meets 7-10 times per year for a midweek dinner and lecture. For most meetings a speaker presents on an interesting topic relevant to mass spectrometry. For example in August the presentation was entitled "Viruses in Your Mass Spectrometer.".

Many of the attendees are users of mass spectrometer systems or perhaps scientists or managers in the field. For some, the Dionex MSQ Plus single quad mass spectrometer system coupled with a Dionex IC or LC is of interest. This has proven to be the case in the environmental & forensic as well as the small molecule bio-pharma markets. Additionally, Dionex offers a versatile front end LC system for MS/MS applications.

BAMS Corporate Night is an annual event and does not include a regular focused scientific discussion. It offers an excellent opportunity to network with mass spec users and speak to other corporate representatives that sponsor BAMS. This year Dionex was represented by four bay area sales and marketing employees – Peter Bodsky, Lou Gavino, Alex Tagol, and Steve Brown.