“My musical background helps with my productivity and focus”

There are few people who represent a perfect balance between art and science. But Laure Menin is one of them. By day, she puts her analytical chemistry and biochemistry know-how to work as head of MSEAP, a role she’s held for almost 15 years. Outside of work, she’s a piano virtuoso – a hobby that saw her take on a challenging endeavor and win the Lavaux Classic piano competition in category D, which is reserved for amateur pianists with a high degree of musical and technical ability.

Menin, who hails from France, has lived in Switzerland for 25 years. She joined EPFL in 2008 after working at several biotech and pharmaceutical companies. “EPFL is such a rewarding place to work – scientifically, culturally and personally,” she says. “I can easily see myself spending the rest of my career here.”

Her platform is home to cutting-edge mass spectrometry instruments that EPFL researchers can use. Mass spectrometry is a method for identifying chemical compounds by measuring their mass using electric and magnetic fields. With proper preparation, it can be used to characterize the molecular composition of any liquid or solid. “It’s an extremely sensitive analytical-chemistry method,” explains Menin. “With mass spectrometry, you can detect almost anything – even the tiniest traces of pesticides in food or parabens in cosmetics.”

Last year, MSEAP provided services to more than 80 EPFL labs in fields as diverse as chemistry, life science, materials science and environmental engineering. Its 350-odd users include experienced scientists, PhD students, other EPFL students, and the founders of EPFL spin-offs.

Peering into the world of the infinitely small

MSEAP receives requests from all quarters. Some users are developing new catalysts or analyzing environmental pollutants, while others are studying metal-based compounds for cancer treatment, nanoparticles as antiviral agents, or ant pheromones. For the Journée Oser tous les Métiers (JOM) – an annual take-your-child-to-work day in Vaud Canton – Menin runs workshops where children get to see exactly what chemicals are found in candy and Coca-Cola.

Menin particularly appreciates working in a wide variety of fields and interacting with a cosmopolitan community of scientists and students. “Knowing that you’re playing your part in the success of other people’s research is incredibly rewarding,” she says. She explains that spending 15 years studying everyday objects in minute detail has changed how she views the world: “Now, whenever I eat an apple, even if it’s organic, I know exactly what mycotoxins I might find if I run it through my mass spectrometers. Examining substances on such a small scale makes you aware of how many chemicals you encounter that your body can’t detect – and of how chemistry underpins the world around us.”

As well as providing instruments to the EPFL community, MSEAP also processes complex mass spectrometry data as an open-access service. “Each year, around 30,000 international visitors come to us to use the software we developed jointly with Luc Patiny at EPFL’s IT and Data Management Platform,” Menin explains. “It’s a highly appreciated and increasingly popular service.”

Molecules and melodies

Performance and precision are values that Menin carries over from her work at EPFL to her favorite pastime of piano playing. Given the many musicians in her family, taking up the instrument was a natural step. Her father, who passed away two years ago, was a pianist and composer. And whenever she and her twin sister get together, they always sit down to play a duet.

“When I was younger, I considered becoming a professional pianist,” says Menin. “But since I got good grades at school, my piano instructor never pushed me down such a demanding career path. Looking back, I’m extremely grateful to him – not just because I love being a scientist, but also because I can indulge my passion for music without having to worry about the money side of things.”

Menin has played with orchestras on several occasions, including a 2011 performance with the University of Toulouse Orchestra (see video links). But the Lavaux Classic was the first time she’d entered a competition since her youth – a step she was encouraged to take by Magali Bourquin, her piano instructor at the Lausanne Conservatory, who’s taught Menin since she came to Switzerland. After making it through the knock-out rounds, Menin found herself in the semi-finals, where she competed against 11 other amateur players. She secured a place in the finals, which were held on 9 October 2022, and came out top. “The process lasted a whole year,” she says. “The final three months were particularly intense. I had to practice every day. And on the odd occasion when I skipped a day, I could feel my fingers getting rusty! I realized just how hard it is to be a professional pianist: your fingers and arms are your tools, and they’re just as delicate as a mass spectrometer.”

Musical discipline

According to Menin, playing the piano from such a young age has given her a heightened ability to concentrate. “My musical background means I can work for hours on end without losing focus,” she says. “Likewise, I tend to bring my scientific rigor to my piano playing.” It’s no surprise that Menin is a big fan of EPFL initiatives to promote music, such as the two rooms on the Lausanne campus with tuned pianos that anyone can use by joining EPFL’s music association, called Musical. “As music-loving scientists, we’re truly spoiled at EPFL!”