Peter Williams

Peter Williams is a Professor of Chemistry at Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences. He joined ASU in 1981 after postdoctoral work at Argonne National Laboratory and academic roles at the Universities of Manitoba and Illinois. His research focuses on analytical methodologies for inorganic and biochemical materials, utilizing techniques like Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) and mass spectrometric immunoassays. He has pioneered advancements in bioimaging and DNA sequencing technologies.

Education: PhD in Physical Chemistry from University of London, King's College (1966); BSc in Chemistry from the same institution (1966).

Research Interests: Dividing materials into 'rocks' (inorganics like minerals/metals) and 'goo' (biomolecules like proteins/DNA). Key projects include development of NanoSIMS 50L instrument for sub-25nm resolution, SIMS analysis of solar wind samples from NASA's Genesis mission, and fluorescence-based DNA sequencing licensed to biotech firms.

Grants & Collaborations: Over 20 major grants from NSF, NASA, NIH, and industry partners. Notable instruments developed include the Cameca IMS nf with multicollector detectors and time-of-flight SIMS systems.

Labs & Teams: Director of Williams Lab, leading interdisciplinary teams in materials science and bioanalytical chemistry. Active in instrument development for SIMS and mass spectrometry applications.