Dr Nick Birse

Dr Nick Birse is a Lecturer in Mass Spectrometry at Queen’s University Belfast, specialising in the use of mass spectrometry to determine food authenticity, quality and safety. Nick has been at Queen’s University Belfast for more than 8 years, having studied for a PhD in Analytical Chemistry with Professor Chris Elliott, he then remained with Chris as a post-doctoral research fellow before establishing his own research group within the Institute for Global Food Security and School of Biological Sciences in April 2023. 

Nick has been closely involved in establishing and maintaining key relationships with major mass spectrometry instrumentation vendors, national and international food producers and academic partners, with Nick frequently supervising PhD students on exchange from collaborators around the world. 

Mass spectrometry forms a key plank of Nick’s research focus, but he is also interested in the development of the technique for industrial applications and the deployment of systems away from analytical laboratories, with a core focus being the use of rapid, cost-effective sample analysis to support the detection of food safety issues and to support producers in maximising value and minimising wastage through better testing and quality control processes. 

Away from mass spectrometry, Nick has a second strand of research, looking at the security of food supply chains, and leads the food aspect of the RISC+ project based at Queen’s University, working to map vital UK supply chains and introduce both practical and policy-based solutions to improve the resilience and safety of these key commodities as they enter the UK.

Food safety and security, analytical chemistry, mass spectrometry, AI and chemometric modelling