The 4,500-odd attendees at this year’s meeting of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry know how to take advantage of a good thing. For the $200 price of admission for ASMS members, attendees immerse themselves in the intricacies of mass spectrometry — from protein and polymer analysis, explosives and bioweapons detection, even fundamentals such as the study of zwitterions — as well as indulge in corporate generosity in the form of Beck’s beer and fancy hors d’oeuvres.