Dr. rer. nat. habil.  Johanna Sabine Becker 

Head of Mass Spectrometry

Central Division of Analytical Chemistry                                      

Research Centre Juelich

D-52425 Juelich, Germany

Phone: 0049 2461 612698

E-mail address: s.becker@fz-juelich.de

 1967-1974          Study of Chemistry, University Leipzig

1974                    Promotion in Quantum Chemistry (organic chemistry),     University Leipzig

1974-1991          Central Institute for Isotope and Radiation Research, Leipzig.

1988                    Habilitation  on Development of Ultrasensitive Solid-State Mass

                            Spectrometric Techniques, University Leipzig

since 1992           Head of mass spectrometric group, Central Department for   Analytical Chemistry, Research Centre Jülich

(10-15 scientists, Ph.D. students, guest scientists, technicians and lab assistants)

    Topics: Trace, ultratrace isotope and surface analysis by ICP-MS, SSMS,

   LIMS, GDMS, SIMS, SNMS and LA-ICP-MS on different   

   samples for research task of  Institutes of  Research Centre Juelich;

   Development of high-sensitive methods for environmental and radioactive waste   

   samples (long-lived radionuclides),  for sensitive  solid and surface analysis on  

   high-purity  materials (new quantification strategies), for characterisation of non-

   conducting ceramics and ceramic  layers (e.g.,  for solid oxide  fuel cells or

   BaSrTiO-perovskite  layers),  precise isotope ratio measurements at ultratrace level,

   environmental analysis, life science

1997-31.1.2003    Deputy head of Central Department for   Analytical Chemistry, Research

   Centre Juelich (20-35 scientists, technicians and lab assistants)

1999 -2004           Guest professor: Nuclear Research Centre, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo

Oct. 2001           Guest professor: George Washington University, Washington DC, USA

Nov. 2001            Guest professor: St. Kliment Ohridski University Sofia und Bulgarian Academy

   of Sciences

Sept. 2003            Guest docent: University of Iasi, Rumänien

Nov. 2003/           Guest professor: University of Pau, France

March 2003          (see also http://www.univ-pau.fr/GCABI/Visitors/Visitors.html)

Oct.  2005          Guest professor: Technical University of Prague,

Dec. 2005           Guest professor: Hebrew University of Jerusalem,

Field of activities

1971-1974             Quantum chemistry  (Ph.D. thesis)

 „p-und Allvalenzelektronen-MO-Rechnungen zur Geometrie und Reaktivität

 ausgewählter organischer Moleküle“ (supervisor: Prof. Dr. C. Weiss, Rector of  

 the University of  Leipzig,  1992-1997)

1974-1978                    Investigation of double-b decay of ⁹⁶Zr  and ⁹⁴Zr via precise isotope analysis

 of molybdenum using thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS).

Development of an analytical technique for the separation of molybdenum traces

 (< 5 µg/g) from  Precambrian zircon matrix  (the separation procedure was controlled with the aid of radioactive Mo-99 tracers), methodical developments for precise isotope ratio measurements of Mo by TIMS.

1977-1979           Development of analytical methods for precise isotope analysis of uranium,   molybdenum,   Rb-Sr, Nd-Sm (geochronology) in inorganic solid samples (e.g., geological samples) by TIMS, development and application of isotope dilution technique in  TIMS and application of ID-TIMS in routine mode; characterization of geological samples (age dating of Ore mountains).

1977-1991           Multielement analysis of trace elements (µg/g and ng/g concentration

range) on solid samples, such as geological samples,  high- purity materials, ceramics, biological materials by spark source mass spectrometry (SSMS) and  laser ionization mass spectrometry (LIMS) in routine mode. Determination of rare earth elements in geological samples by SSMS,  trace analysis of smallest amount of radioactive samples by SSMS, e.g., in metallic ⁹⁹Tc.

  1980-1988         Introduction of laser ionisation mass spectrometry (LIMS):  

                            Development and construction of laser ion source and coupling to double  

  focusing mass spectrograph with Mattauch-Herzog geometry (1980/81);  

  Development of ultra-sensitive mass spectrometry: Experiments with new types  

  of ion sources for LIMS; Optimisation of laser ion sources; investigation of

  formation of   molecular, cluster- and atomic ions in laser plasma in

  comparison to spark plasmas.  Trace analysis of high melting metals (e.g., Hf,

  Mo,  Ta, W or Nb)

1985-1987                   Scientific research of laser induced plasma deposition of thin films, e.g.,  BN- 

and C-layers,  multiple layers with  thicknesses in  nm range (W-C-layers) in  ultrahigh vacuum ion sources of mass spectrometers; mass spectrometric and theoretical studies of laser ablation and plasma deposition processes for different systems (e.g., carbon, BN, BC₄). Development and construction of deposition chambers for laser induced plasma deposition for preparation of superconducting thin layers and cluster research.

1988                    Habilitation: „Ultraempfindliche Massenspektroskopie zur Festkörperanalyse,  

     insbesondere zum Nachweis superschwerer Elemente, und in diesem   

     Zusammenhang durchgeführte  Untersuchungen zur Clusterforschung“;

1992-2000                      Trace, ultratrace and surface analysis using ICP-MS,  SSMS, LIMS, GDMS,

SIMS, SNMS, LA-ICP-MS and XPS for routine analysis (analysis service) and      research projects of different research institutes of the Research Centre Juelich.

1992                                    Improvement of vacuum system of  SSMS/LIMS, introduction of ICP-MS  and

  application of these  techniques for analysis service.

1992-2000           Development of analytical methods of solid state mass spectrometry including

surface analysis using SSMS, LIMS, SIMS, SNMS for material research (e.g.,   high temperature resistant alloys, ceramics, high purity metals, thick non-conducting layers of solid oxide fuel cells).

1993-1997                   Methodical development  and construction of laser ablations ICP-MS

    (LA-ICP- MS) and  radio frequency glow discharge mass spectrometry (rf GDMS) 

since 1993           Creation of new methods including trace / matrix separation for

      high-purity materials, semiconductors, determination of long-lived 

      radionuclides and isotope ratio measurements (e.g. samples from Chernobyl) by   

      ICP-MS, isotope dilution technique in ICP-MS, tracer experiments (K, Ca and

       Mg using ICP-MS and SIMS);

1997-2000                 Determination of spallation nuclides in an irradiated tantalum target of a

        spallation neutron source using HPLC-ICP-MS and CE-ICP-MS;

1996-2002                    Development of new calibration  strategies in LA-ICP-MS and application in

   trace analysis of  geological samples,  high purity reactor graphite and metals

1999/2000            Development of analytical methods for determination of stoichiometry

       and trace impurities in thin perovskite layers for microelectronics by mass

       spectrometry using ICP-MS, SIMS and SNMS (depth profiling on layered  

       systems)

1998 -2002          Precise isotope analysis of uranium (U-236), thorium and plutonium in

  radioactive waste, environmental samples (Chernobyl, Kosovo), and medical  

  samples (urine, blood, bones)

 since 2002          Research on  proteomics and brain research

 since 2003          Creation and development of near field laser ablation ICP-MS for

                          Nanolocal analysis on      biological samples

2005-2006                      Imaging of thin tissues (section of brain tissues) by LA-ICP-MS in the routine

  mode

Current research interest: analytical chemistry, trace, ultratrace and isotope analysis

-     Environmental research, life science and medicine, bioengineering 

-          Ultratrace,  isotope, surface and speciation analysis of long-lived radionuclides in different matrices  (waste solutions, waters, urine, concrete, soils, sediments, plants,)

-          Long-lived radionuclides smallest sample volumes (flow injection), proteins  in 2D gels, thin section of brain tissues by ICP-MS and LA-ICP-MS

-          Determination of  P, S and metals in protein spots separated by 2 dimensional gel electrophoresis by LA-ICP-MS

-          Small amount of plant samples, tissue, DNA, material research 

-          Trace and ultratrace analysis of  high purity materials 

(metals, semiconductors, ceramics, graphite) solution based calibration, isotope dilution

-          Brain research (measurement of element distribution on thin brain tissues by LA-ICP-MS), development of new quantification procedures

-          Development of LA-ICP-MS for micro- and  nano-local analysis in life science: metallomics, phosphoproteomics by LA-ICP-MS and MALDI-FTICR-MS

-          Environmental research

Scientific and  organizational tasks:

-          Organisation of research work and of analysis service of mass spectrometric group in the Central Division of Analytical Chemistry,  carrying out of a multitude of analysis for different Institutes of Research Centre Juelich and external users (e.g., Siemens Hanau, TÜV Rheinland, Urenco);

-          Acquisition of new projects for the Research Centre Juelich

-          Scientific leadership of physicists, Ph.D. students, chemists, engineers, technicians, lab assistants and numerous guest scientists;

-          Scientific supervisor of numerous diploma works,   Ph.D. Thesis (20) and Post-Doc works (5);

-          Scientific cooperation with numerous well-known guest scientists, supervisor of scientific work including of research work of Ph.D. students  [Israel (Prof. Platzner, Prof. Brenner, Dr. L. Halicz et al.) Russland (Dr. Saprykin), Weissrussland (Dr. Boulyga, A. Izmer), Ukraina (Dr. M. Zoriy)  Indien (Dr. Panday, Dr. Tyagi, Dr. S. Aggarwal),  USA (Prof. A. Montaser, Prof. J. Caruso, Prof. Soman, Dr. J. Day, Dr. McLean, DC B. Acon, DC S.-A.O’Brien, DC C. Westphal), Bulgarien (Dr. Mandjukov, Prof. Hadjieva), Ungarn (Dr. Dombovari, Dr. Szus, Z. Varga) China (DC Xu), Ägypten (Prof. Helal, Prof. Zahran, Dr. Amr, DC Mohamed, DP Abdel-Lateef , DP M. Rashad u.a.)

Current International Cooperation: Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem (L. Halicz), Nuclear Research Centre, Cairo, Radiation Physics and Chemistry Problems Institute, Minsk, Weißrußland;  University of Pau, Frankreich (R. Lobinski), University of Cincinnati, USA (J. Caruso); George Washington University, Washington, USA (A. Montaser); Institute for Chemical Technology, Praha  (K. Volka)  

Member of  Advisory boards: 

J. Anal. At. Spectrom.,

Mikrochim. Acta  (until 2002)

Fresenius J. Anal Chemistry (until 2001)

Int. J. .Mass Spectrom.

Spectrocim. Acta B

Arab. J. Nucl. Sci. Appl. 

Reviewer for these journals,Anal. Chem. (USA), Appl. Spectroscopy (USA), Analyst, Nuclear journals and others  (30-40/year), reviewer of Ph.D. thesis, of research projects (in Germany and worldwide)

Guest editor of the Conference issue 3. Symposium „Massenspektrometrische

Verfahren der  Elementspurenanalyse“  in Fresen. J. Anal. Chem. 1997

Guest editor of the  Conference issue  5. Symposium „Massenspektrometrische

Verfahren der  Elementspurenanalyse“ in Fresen. J. Anal. Chem. 2001

Special issue on “Isotope ratio measurements”, Int. J. Mass Spectrom., 2005 

Organization of Conferences

e.g., 14.  Arbeitstreffen Festkörper-MS, 1991, Leipzig; Arbeitstreffen Festkörper-MS, 1994

Jülich; Anwendertreffen HR-ICP-MS 1995, Jülich;

3.        Symposium „Massenspektrometrische Verfahren der Elementspurenanalyse“, 1996, Jülich;

4.        Symposium „Massenspektrometrische Verfahren der Elementspurenanalyse“, 1998, Mainz;

HAWA’98, International Conference in Hazardous Waste, 1998, Cairo;

7th Conference of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, ESNSA 2000, Cairo;        

 5.  Symposium „Massenspektrometrische Verfahren der Elementspurenanalyse“, 

 2000,   Jülich;

CANAS, Bunsen-Kirchhoff-Festkolloquium, März 2001, Freiberg

DASp Symposium 27.5.01, FZJ

Workshop, DGMS Tagung, 2002 Heidelberg, 2004 Leipzig, 2005 Rostock

Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry 2003, Garmisch-Partenkirchen

CANAS, Bunsen-Kirchhoff-Festkolloquium, März 2003, Konstanz

DASp Symposium on  GDCh-Jahrestagung, Oktober 2003, München; 2005, Freiberg and others

ICP-MS Symposium, 17th International Mass Spectrometry Conference, 27 Aug � 1 Sept. 2006, Prague

Membership and function

-              Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker e.V. (GDCh),

-              Deutsche Gesellschaft für Massenspektrometrie (DGMS), 

-              Deutscher Arbeitskreises für Angewandte  Spektroskopie (DASp).

-              Arbeitskreis für Mikro- und Spurenanalyse (A.M.S.El.),

-              Arbeitskreis der ICP-MS Anwender

-              International  Member of  Egyptian Society of Nuclear Sciences and Applications (ESNSA) 

Board member of „Deutsche Gesellschaft für Massenspektrometrie (DGMS)“ (second election periode)

Board member of Deutscher Arbeitskreis für Angewandte Spektroskopie (Deputy head, second election periode)

Number of publications         265 (including 24 reviews and book chapters)

             Lectures / posters       600 (including numerous invited lectures)

             Patents        20   

Hand Book: J.S. Becker “Inorganic mass spectrometry” (in preparation, 2007) Wiley & Sons  p. 450