I approach mass spectrometry analysis from a fundamental perspective which informs my application work. Most of my work at the Museum Conservation Institute studies small molecules using high resolution MS, ambient ionization, and/or GCMS.

I have a major interest is in modifying ambient sampling and ionization techniques for cultural heritage and conservation science applications. Much of my current research involves developing instrumental methods for analyzing intact objects which are both too sensitive for microsampling and too dimensionally large to be positioned immediately adjacent to a mass spectrometer for conventional ambient sampling techniques. This technical challenge of analyzing sensitive, intact objects also involves close work with curators, conservators, and other interested parties to determine an acceptable level of “invasiveness” for the sampling.

Article

• Ballard, Mary, Newsome, G. Asher, Simpson, Elizabeth, and Burke, Brendan. 2023. "Ancient Chromophores and Auxiliaries: Phrygian Colorants from Tumulus MM at Gordion, Turkey, ca 740 BCE." Heritage, 6, (2) 2220–2246. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6020118. 2023
• Chen, Xi, Newsome, G. Asher, Buchanan, Michael, Glasper, Jeremy, Hua, Leyan, Latif, Mohsen, Gandhi, Viraj, Li, Xintong, and Larriba-Andaluz, Carlos. 2023. "Flow-Optimized Model for Gas Jet Desorption Sampling Mass Spectrometry." The Journal of Physical Chemistry A, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.2c07999. 2023
• Newsome, G. Asher and Cleland, Timothy P. 2023. "Gas-phase dopant flow to modify nanoLC-MS and nanoESI protein charge." International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijms.2023.117026. 2023
• Simpson, Elizabeth, Ballard, Mary W., Newsome, G. A., and Burke, Brendan. 2023. "King Midas’s Textiles: Dyeing and Weaving Technology in Ancient Phrygia." The Textile Museum Journal, 4–31. https://doi.org/10.7560/TMJ5001. 2023
• Lawther, Hannah A. and Newsome, G. Asher. 2023. "Minimally Invasive Liquid Microjunction Sampling to Identify Dye on a 17th Century Spanish Illuminated Manuscript." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, https://doi.org/10.1021/jasms.3c00098. 2023
• Newsome, G. Asher and Martin, Kathleen M. 2023. "Non-proximate Sampling and Photoionization for Damage-Free Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Intact Native American Baskets." Analytical Chemistry, 95, (28) 10695–10702. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01468. 2023
• Brenner, Anne, Moore, Susannah C., and Newsome, G. Asher. 2022. "Faces of Mass Spectrometry/Asher Newsome." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, https://doi.org/10.1021/jasms.2c00278. 2022
• Heald, Susan, George, John, Osmond, Lauren, Elston, Sarah, Kaczkowski, Rebecca, Kavich, Gwenaelle, and Newsome, G. Asher. 2021. "A COVID-Redirect – Investigation and Mitigation of Adhesive Off-gassing and Crystal Formation Inside Exhibition Cases Takes an Unexpected Detour." Collections Quarterly, 11. 2021
• Newsome, G. Asher. 2021. "Extending the Reach: Non-Proximate Sampling for Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Large Objects and Surfaces." LCGC North America, 39, (s10) 14–16. 2021
• Alvarez-Martin, Alba, Newsome, G. Asher, and Janssens, Koen. 2021. "High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Nontraditional Mass Defect Analysis of Brominated Historical Pigments." Analytical Chemistry, 93, (44) 14851–14858. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c03815. 2021
• Newsome, G. Asher and Cleland, Timothy P. 2021. "In-Line Dopant Generation for Atmospheric Pressure Ionization Mass Spectrometry." Analytical Chemistry, 93, (40) 13527–13533. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02400. 2021
• Romano, Christine, Lam, Thomas, Newsome, G. Asher, Taillon, Joshua A., Little, Nicole, and Tsang, Jia-sun. 2020. "Characterization of Zinc Carboxylates in an Oil Paint Test Panel." Studies in Conservation, 65, (1) 14–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/00393630.2019.1666467. 2020
• Alvarez-Martin, Alba, George, John, Kaplan, Emily, Osmond, Lauren, Bright, Leah, Newsome, G. Asher, Kaczkowski, Rebecca, Vanmeert, Frederik, Kavich, Gwénaëlle, and Heald, Susan. 2020. "Identifying VOCs in exhibition cases and efflorescence on museum objects exhibited at Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian-New York." Heritage Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-020-00454-4. 2020
• Newsome, G. Asher, Kavich, Gwénaëlle, and Alvarez-Martin, Alba. 2020. "Interface for Reproducible, Multishot Direct Analysis of Solid-Phase Microextraction Samples." Analytical Chemistry, Article 9b05691. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.9b05691. 2020
• Finkelde, Irene and Newsome, G. Asher. 2020. "Salting Out: A Simple and Reliable Method to Distinguish Between Common Fluid Preservatives and Estimate Alcohol Concentration." Collection Forum, 34, (1) 11–31. https://doi.org/10.14351/0831-4985-34.1.11. 2020
• Ballard, Mary W., Newsome, G. Asher, and Heald, Susan. 2019. "An Ongoing Mystery: Copper Kettles And Chilkat Blue." The Textile Specialty Group Postprints, 29 99–113. 2019
• Ballard, Mary W., Newsome, G. Asher, and Baglia, Regina A. 2019. "Ghost Images in Living Color." Collections Quarterly, 3 18–20. 2019
• Cleland, Timothy P., Newsome, G. Asher, and Hollinger, R. Eric. 2019. "Proteomic and direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry analysis of a Native American ceremonial hat." The Analyst, 144, (24) 7437–7446. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9an01557d. 2019
• Alvarez-Martin, Alba, Cleland, Timothy P., Kavich, Gwénaëlle M., Janssens, Koen, and Newsome, G. Asher. 2019. "Rapid Evaluation of the Debromination Mechanism of Eosin in Oil Paint by Direct Analysis in Real Time and Direct Infusion-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry." Analytical Chemistry, 91, (16) 10856–10863. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.9b02568. 2019
• Lam, Thomas, Romano, Christine, Newsome, G. Asher, Little, Nicole, and Tsang, Jia-sun. 2018. "Characterization of Zinc Soap from an Accelerated Aged Oil Painting Test Panel." Microscopy and Microanalysis, 24 2158–2159. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927618011273. 2018
• Newsome, G. Asher, Kayama, Ikumi, and Brogdon-Grantham, Shannon. 2018. "Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) of discrete sample areas without heat damage." Analytical Methods, 10 1038–1045. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7AY02987J. 2018
• Baucom, Jared N., Merrill, M. H., Field, Christopher R., and Newsome, G. Asher. 2016. "Effect of Placing a Probe in an Acoustic Drop Levitator." Journal of Vibration and Acoustics - Transactions of the ASME, 138, (1). https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4031672. 2016
• Newsome, G. Asher, Ackerman, Luke K., and Johnson, Kevin J. 2016. "Humidity Effects on Fragmentation in Plasma-Based Ambient Ionization Sources." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 27, (1) 135–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13361-015-1259-y. 2016
• Newsome, G. Asher, Steinkamp, F. L., and Giordano, Braden C. 2016. "Isobutane Made Practical as a Reagent Gas for Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 27, (11) 1789–1795. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13361-016-1463-4. 2016
• Lubrano, Adam L., Field, Christopher R., Newsome, G. Asher, Rogers, Duane A., Giordano, Braden C., and Johnson, Kevin J. 2015. "Minimizing thermal degradation in gas chromatographic quantitation of pentaerythritol tetranitrate." Journal of Chromatography A, 1394 154–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2015.03.006. 2015
• Newsome, G. Asher, Ackerman, Luke K., and Johnson, Kevin J. 2014. "Humidity Affects Relative Ion Abundance in Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry of Hexamethylene Triperoxide Diamine." Analytical Chemistry, 86, (24) 11977–11980. https://doi.org/10.1021/ac503652x. 2014
• Newsome, G. Asher and Scholl, Peter F. 2013. "Quantification of Allergenic Bovine Milk alpha(S1)-Casein in Baked Goods Using an Intact N-15-Labeled Protein Internal Standard." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 61, (24) 5659–5668. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf3015238. 2013
• Grundy, H. H., Read, W. A., Macarthur, R., Dickinson, M., Charlton, A. J., Dusek, M., Breidbach, A., Scholl, P. F., Newsome, G. Asher, Bell, D., and Alewijn, M. 2013. "Selected reaction monitoring method to determine the species origin of blood-based binding agents in meats: A collaborative study." Food Chemistry, 141, (4) 3531–3536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.06.063. 2013
• Newsome, G. Asher and Glish, Gary L. 2011. "A New Approach to IRMPD Using Selective Ion Dissociation in a Quadrupole Ion Trap." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 22, (2) 207–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13361-010-0039-y. 2011
• Newsome, G. Asher and Glish, Gary L. 2009. "Improving IRMPD in a Quadrupole Ion Trap." Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 20, (6) 1127–1131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasms.2009.02.003. 2009

Chapter

• Summerour, Rebecca, Ahlgren, Ingrid, Newsome, G. Asher, and Kavich, Gwenaelle. 2019. "Conserving 25 Jaki-Ed Marshallese Dress Mats at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution." In New Tools, Techniques, and Tactics in Conservation & Collections Care. Dodson, Kari, Wilcop, Mary, and Arista, Jessica, editors. Uncasville, Connecticut: American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. In Objects Specialty Group Postprints, 26. 2019
• Coughlin, Mary, Kavich, Gwenaelle, Newsome, G. Asher, and Wang, Qiuhui. 2019. "Examining the Use of Ozone Test Strips to Detect PVC Plastics in Museums." In New Tools, Techniques, and Tactics in Conservation & Collections Care. Dodson, Kari, Wilcop, Mary, and Arista, Jessica, editors. Uncasville, Connecticut: American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. In Objects Specialty Group Postprints, 26. 2019
• Baglia, Regina A., Newsome, G. Asher, and Ballard, Mary W. 2018. "Ambient Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Alizarin-Dyed Textile and Dye Transfer to Paper." In The Textile Specialty Group Postprints: Papers Delivered at the Textile Subgroup Session: American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 46th Annual Meeting, Houston, Texas, May-June 2018, Volume 28. Eng-Wilmot, Kira, Casteneda, Alison, Frankel, Nora, Getts, Anne, Schmitt, Emma, and Urick, Jessica, editors. 127–139. Washington, DC: Textile Specialty Group of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. 2018

Dataset

• Newsome, G. Asher. 2023. [Dataset] SPME-DART Interface and Multi-slot Syringe for Arrow Fiber. Distributed by Suitland, Maryland: Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute. https://doi.org/10.25573/DATA.21339078.V1. 2023
• Newsome, G. Asher. 2022. [Dataset] Nanospray Flex fitted enclosure plate. Distributed by Suitland, Maryland: Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute. https://doi.org/10.25573/DATA.21339075.V1. 2022

Report

• Newsome, G. Asher, Rosen, Elias P., Kamens, Richard M., and Glish, Gary L. 2020. Real-time Detection and Tandem Mass Spectrometry of Secondary Organic Aerosols with a Quadrupole Ion Trap. https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv.12633836.v1. 2020