Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of ionizing biological molecules, comprising:releasing predominantly neutral sample molecules from a surrounding medium;directing a beam of low molecular weight ions generated by an ion producing device at the sample molecules thereby affecting the ionization of the sample molecules; andcontrolling the energy at which the interaction of the neutral sample molecules and the injected low molecular weight ion beam predominantly occurs with at least one electrode generating an electric field through which the low molecular weight ion beam passes; wherein the at least one electrode is located in close spatial proximity to the location of the released sample molecules thereby enabling the deceleration of the injected low molecular weight ion beam predominately immediately prior to the interaction with the sample molecules. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein:the ion producing device comprises the at least one electrode. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:analyzing data obtained from an analytical instrument coupled with the ion source for biological molecules; andcontrolling the electric potential on the electrode used to control the energy at which the interaction of the neutral sample molecules and the injected low molecular weight ion beam predominantly occurs based on the analysis of the data obtained from the analytical instrument. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein:controlling the electric potential on the electrode used to control the energy at which the interaction of the neutral sample molecules and the injected low molecular weight ion beam predominantly occurs based on the analysis of the data obtained from the analytical instrument comprises maximizing the probability of ionization of the predominantly neutral sample molecules. 5. A system for providing an ion source for biological molecules, comprisingan ion producing device; andat least one electrode;wherein:the ion producing device is used to generate a low molecular weight ion beam;the low molecular weight ion beam is predominantly directed at predominantly neutral sample molecules and affects the ionization of the sample molecules;the low molecular weight ion beam passes through an electric field generated by the at least one electrode; andthe at least one electrode is configured to control the energy at which the interaction of the neutral sample molecules and the low molecular weight ion beam predominantly occurs; and the at least one electrode is located in close spatial proximity to the location of the sample molecules thereby enabling the deceleration of the injected low molecular weight ion beam predominately immediately prior to the interaction with the sample molecules. 6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:an analytical instrument. 7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:an analyzer configured to obtain and analyze data produced from the analytical instrument. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the analyzer comprises a computer. 9. The system of claim 5, wherein:the ion producing device comprises the at least one electrode.