Electrospray? Actually, ERIAD, made in USSR: How Lidia Gall Shaped the Future of Molecular Biology

Today, on March 8th—International Women's Day—we honor the groundbreaking work of Professor Lydia Gall, the brilliant mind behind what the world now knows as electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

In the annals of scientific discovery, credit is not always bestowed fairly. But on this day, we shine a long-overdue spotlight on a woman whose innovation fundamentally transformed our ability to study the very building blocks of life.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, mass spectrometry had hit a formidable wall. While exceptional at analyzing small, robust molecules, the technology shattered the large, fragile biomolecules—like proteins and DNA—that scientists were most eager to study. The field desperately needed a "soft" method to coax these delicate giants into the gas phase without destroying them.

At the Institute for Analytical Instrumentation (Academy of Sciences, Professor Lydia Gall and her group were years ahead of their time. In 1984, they unveiled a revolutionary method they named ERIAD (Extraction of Ions at Atmospheric Pressure). Their technique applied a high voltage to a liquid sample at atmospheric pressure, generating a fine mist of charged droplets. As the solvent evaporated, it left behind beautifully intact, multiply-charged ions of massive biomolecules—ready for precise analysis.

In function and principle, this was a direct precursor to what would later be termed Electrospray Ionization (ESI) in the West. While John Fenn would go on to receive the Nobel Prize in 2002 for his development of ESI, Professor Gall’s parallel and independent discovery remained largely unknown to the international community for decades.

Science, however, ultimately seeks the truth. Professor Gall’s contributions were not a mere footnote; they were foundational. Her legacy has rightfully earned its place in history. In 2022, the international community bestowed its highest honor upon her: Lidia Gall was awarded the Thomson Medal, the most prestigious award in the field of mass spectrometry, recognizing her as one of the true inventors of electrospray ionization. That same year, she also received the Manuel Riveros Medal from the Brazilian Society of Mass Spectrometry.