Fresh thinking

In 2007, the strategy for the Analytical Division (AD) was reviewed, and areas such as education/outreach and support for younger analytical scientists, were identified as two of the main key focus areas for future activity. Much has now happened to deliver on this strategy, with the support of the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund (ACTF). 

For example, in association with the Spanish Society for Analytical Chemistry, up to ten Spanish postgraduate students have been invited to attend our flagship Analytical Research Forum in Hull in July.

The ACTF has also now agreed to fund three Developing World Scholarships for scientists from developing nations to come to the UK or Ireland to learn new skills.

The Schools' Analyst competition also goes from strength to strength, with this year's final being held in Bangor in June.

Another new venture will be launched at our AGM in Dublin later this month. An AD Awards symposium will be held, with the recipients of the Sir George Stokes medal, the SAC Gold medal and the Theophillus Redwood lecturer all giving lectures. A further awards meeting, involving recent AD award winners from the USA and the UK, will be held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in June.

In addition, the AD, along with the Chemistry Biology Interface Forum, have organised a series of workshops on Analytical Tools for the Life Sciences, and a short report of the first workshop appears below. These are very exciting times for analytical science, and I hope this article provides readers with a snapshot of our current and planned activities in 2008.

The Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund

The Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund (ACTF) is an independent charity associated with the Analytical Division. Its object is: 'to promote, assist and extend the science and study of Analytical Chemistry and of all questions relating to the analysis, nature and composition of natural and manufactured materials for the benefit of the public'. 

The ACTF has recently begun looking at new ways to support analytical chemistry, and has launched a scheme to support scientists in the developing world. 

Ideas Factory

Back in February, a couple of dozen prominent analytical scientists met in Cambridge. The purpose of the meeting was to plunder their brains for all their best (and worst) ideas on how the ACTF could support various schemes and projects. They looked at ways to promote analytical science research, education, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and communication, as well as measures to strengthen the cohesion of the analytical science community as a whole in the UK, Ireland and the developing world. 

Malcolm Smyth, chair of ACTF's Trustees, said: "We are very grateful for all those who participated in our Ideas Factory. but the process isn't over yet. We want to engage the Analytical Science Network and the students attending the Analytical Research Forum to generate more fresh ideas. As some of our projects come to the end of their time, ACTF has the opportunity to redirect some of its resources. "Our trustees and trust secretary are working on several of the ideas, even some of the wackier ones, ranging from the remodelling of the PhD studentship scheme, foundation degrees, hot topic conferences and resource databases."

Developing World Scholarships

ACTF's trustees have launched a new initiative: the Developing World Scholarship Scheme. Its purpose is to provide the opportunity for citizens of developing world countries, who are employed in their industrial, academic or public service sectors, to visit a host institution in the UK or Ireland. They will acquire new analytical science knowledge, or experience of analytical science teaching, learning or training methods, which will be applied on their return home. Already, three scholarships have been awarded: 

• M Pandurangappa of Bangalore University will be spending three months in the laboratories of Richard Compton, University of Oxford.
• Shimelis Admassie Molla of Addis Ababa University will study electrochemical detection of pesticides with Darren Walsh at the University of Nottingham.
• Yonas Chebude Gebre, also of Addis Ababa University, will be studying the application of analytical techniques to the characterisation of plant extracts with Peter Licence, University of Nottingham. The emphasis is very much on achieving a practical and beneficial impact in their home country.      

The National Schools' Analyst Competition

The first National Schools' Analyst competition was held in July 1990. Since 2005 all Regions of the Analytical Division have participated in the competition, with 16 teams (3 students per team), typically competing in the final. Analytical science is a problem-solving science, and this competition, which attracts teams from over 200 schools annually, attempts to give students a flavour of the complexity and interests associated with a career in analytical science.

Both the heats and the national final allow students of A-level chemistry to solve simple analytical problems of industrial relevance, using analytical and mathematical skills they have acquired during their studies. In addition, the students get the opportunity of handling modern analytical instrumentation (such as chromatographic and spectroscopic equipment) and of interpreting the data generated by these instruments.

The final of the competition is spread around the regions; this year it will be held at the University of Bangor in June. The competition is sponsored by many companies throughout the UK, however it could not survive without the continuing generous support of the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund.

Joint workshops promote analytical solutions

A joint series of workshops has been developed by the Analytical Division and the Chemistry Biology Interface Forum to expose those working in the life sciences to the breadth of analytical techniques available to help their research. The first in the series, on Oxidative DNA damage, took place on 28 March 2008 at Dublin City University. 

The event was very successful with six distinguished speakers from Canada, France, Ireland, the UK and the USA presenting their research. More than 70 participants used the opportunity to network and discuss their work over a poster session with other delegates. Malcolm Smyth, AD President and chair of the meeting, summarised the success of the meeting: "It was so exciting to learn about the research of so many great experts in the field". 

The topic of the second workshop will be on biological membranes. It will be held in Edinburgh on the 2 June 2008 where a range of top speakers will showcase state of the art tools and techniques to study biological membranes.