Scott Tanner is a Canadian scientist, inventor, [1] [2] and entrepreneur. [3] His areas of expertise include mass spectroscopy, especially inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and mass cytometry.
Scott is best known for his work on the fundamentals of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, [4] for the invention of mass cytometry, [5] and co-founding (with Dmitry Bandura, Vladimir Baranov and Olga Ornatsky) DVS Sciences [3] in 2004,(acquired by Fluidigm in 2014 and then renamed to Standard BioTools in 2022 [6] ) the company that first commercialized the instrument and reagents of mass cytometry.
Scott was born and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario Canada. He bought his first chemistry set, from his brother, at age 6. [7] [8] Through his early teenage years, he was provided with laboratory space at Brock University, under the guidance of Dr. E.A. Cherniak and Dr. F.P. Koffyberg, where he attempted to replicate Geiger–Marsden experiments also known as Rutherford’s experiment (scattering of alpha particles by gold foil) using various home-built instruments, including cloud chambers. [7] [8]
Scott graduated with a BSC in Chemistry from York University in 1976. During his undergraduate years, he became a nationally ranked gymnast. [7] [8] [9] An injury at the Olympic trials ended his competitive gymnastics career, and he took up marathon running during graduate school (best time 2:47:13). [7] [8] He received a Doctor of Philosophy (Chemistry) from York University in 1980, having studied ion-molecule reaction kinetics and flame ion chemistry with Drs. D.K Bohme and J.M. Goodings. [7] [8]
Dr. Tanner joined SCIEX, which later became MDS SCIEX, in 1980 as a research scientist. He became Principal Scientist in 2000. In his 25 years at SCIEX, Dr. Tanner developed and helped to commercialize a string of Mass Spectrometry products.
Scott published over 74 peer-reviewed scientific articles, and holds 22 US patents [10] (with corresponding filings in other countries), including 13 patents on Mass Cytometry technology
Scott was a co-founder of DVS Sciences and, as the President and CEO, saw the company through the development and commercial launch of its first products.
The products that DVS Sciences brought to the global market were originally developed at the University of Toronto where Dr. Tanner was a Professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and then in Chemistry.
Chair of the Three Churches Heritage Foundation in Mahone Bay - 2020-Present [12] [13]
Scott has published more than 75 peer-reviewed articles.
The 13 most cited (more than 200 citations each) include:
A more complete listing of his publications can be found on Google Scholar
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a type of mass spectrometry that uses an inductively coupled plasma to ionize the sample. It atomizes the sample and creates atomic and small polyatomic ions, which are then detected. It is known and used for its ability to detect metals and several non-metals in liquid samples at very low concentrations. It can detect different isotopes of the same element, which makes it a versatile tool in isotopic labeling.
In physics, atomic spectroscopy is the study of the electromagnetic radiation absorbed and emitted by atoms. Since unique elements have unique emission spectra, atomic spectroscopy is applied for determination of elemental compositions. It can be divided by atomization source or by the type of spectroscopy used. In the latter case, the main division is between optical and mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry generally gives significantly better analytical performance, but is also significantly more complex. This complexity translates into higher purchase costs, higher operational costs, more operator training, and a greater number of components that can potentially fail. Because optical spectroscopy is often less expensive and has performance adequate for many tasks, it is far more common. Atomic absorption spectrometers are one of the most commonly sold and used analytical devices.
Environmental chemistry is the scientific study of the chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places. It should not be confused with green chemistry, which seeks to reduce potential pollution at its source. It can be defined as the study of the sources, reactions, transport, effects, and fates of chemical species in the air, soil, and water environments; and the effect of human activity and biological activity on these. Environmental chemistry is an interdisciplinary science that includes atmospheric, aquatic and soil chemistry, as well as heavily relying on analytical chemistry and being related to environmental and other areas of science.
Gold fingerprinting is a method used to identify and authenticate gold items by analyzing the unique composition of impurities or trace elements within the metal. While gold itself is an inert and relatively uniform element, gold found in natural or processed items often contains small amounts of other elements, such as silver or lead. These trace elements, which vary depending on the source and refining process, serve as a "fingerprint" for the gold. By comparing the elemental composition of a gold sample to databases of known sources, experts can determine where the gold was likely mined or processed. This technique is applied in fields such as archaeology, geology, and forensic science, as it provides insights into the provenance of historical artifacts, mined gold, or stolen items.
An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) or transformer coupled plasma (TCP) is a type of plasma source in which the energy is supplied by electric currents which are produced by electromagnetic induction, that is, by time-varying magnetic fields.
Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), also referred to as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), is an analytical technique used for the detection of chemical elements. It is a type of emission spectroscopy that uses the inductively coupled plasma to produce excited atoms and ions that emit electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths characteristic of a particular element. The plasma is a high temperature source of ionised source gas. The plasma is sustained and maintained by inductive coupling from electrical coils at megahertz frequencies. The source temperature is in the range from 6000 to 10,000 K. The intensity of the emissions from various wavelengths of light are proportional to the concentrations of the elements within the sample.
In a chemical analysis, the internal standard method involves adding the same amount of a chemical substance to each sample and calibration solution. The internal standard responds proportionally to changes in the analyte and provides a similar, but not identical, measurement signal. It must also be absent from the sample matrix to ensure there is no other source of the internal standard present. Taking the ratio of analyte signal to internal standard signal and plotting it against the analyte concentrations in the calibration solutions will result in a calibration curve. The calibration curve can then be used to calculate the analyte concentration in an unknown sample.
Velmer A. Fassel was an American chemist who developed the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and demonstrated its use as ion source for mass spectrometry.
Atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) is a method of chemical analysis that uses the intensity of light emitted from a flame, plasma, arc, or spark at a particular wavelength to determine the quantity of an element in a sample. The wavelength of the atomic spectral line in the emission spectrum gives the identity of the element while the intensity of the emitted light is proportional to the number of atoms of the element. The sample may be excited by various methods.
A collision/reaction cell is a device used in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to remove interfering ions through ion/neutral reactions.
Pittcon Editors’ Awards honoured the best new products on show at the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, or Pittcon, for 20 years from 1996 having been established by Dr Gordon Wilkinson, managing editor of Analytical Instrument Industry Report. On 8 March 2015, the event returned to the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans and this was the last occasion when the awards were presented.
Cytometry by time of flight, or CyTOF, is an application of mass cytometry used to quantify labeled targets on the surface and interior of single cells. CyTOF allows the quantification of multiple cellular components simultaneously using an ICP-MS detector.
Mass cytometry is a mass spectrometry technique based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and time of flight mass spectrometry used for the determination of the properties of cells (cytometry). In this approach, antibodies are conjugated with isotopically pure elements, and these antibodies are used to label cellular proteins. Cells are nebulized and sent through an argon plasma, which ionizes the metal-conjugated antibodies. The metal signals are then analyzed by a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The approach overcomes limitations of spectral overlap in flow cytometry by utilizing discrete isotopes as a reporter system instead of traditional fluorophores which have broad emission spectra.
SCIEX is a manufacturer of mass spectrometry instrumentation used in biomedical and environmental applications. Originally started by scientists from the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, it is now part of Danaher Corporation with the SCIExe R&D division still located in Toronto, Canada.
Dmitry Bandura is a Soviet-born Canadian scientist, notable for being one of the co-inventors of the Mass cytometry technology. Bandura co-founded DVS Sciences in 2004 along with Drs Vladimir Baranov, Scott D. Tanner, and Olga Ornatsky.
Vladimir Baranov is a Soviet born Canadian scientist and one of the original co-inventors of Mass cytometry technology...
Olga Ornatsky is a Soviet born, Canadian scientist. Ornatsky co-founded DVS Sciences in 2004 along with Dmitry Bandura, Vladimir Baranov and Scott D. Tanner.