Core activities
and emerging issues. We cannot cover every field with our
limited resources. In order to fulfil the IUPAC mission of providing
critically evaluated data and keeping pace with the evolution of
analytical chemistry we decided to focus our activities on two areas,
described as Core Activities and Emerging issues in analytical chemistry.
The former includes maintenance and updating of the Orange
Book and the generation and maintenance of good
projects. The latter is consistent with the philosophy that
started in Ottawa with the workshop on Genomics and Proteomics
and continued in Vienna by the symposium on Emerging issues in
Metrology.
Collective
work and activity between the meetings.
The Division is formed from a group of individuals. But by working
in teams we hope to create added value to the sum of efforts and
inputs of the individuals. This is a challenge but we know we can
benefit from this approach. The management of our activities by
teams between the meetings is a key issue to optimize the productivity
of our work.
Better Communication.
Dissemination of projects and results is a crucial issue for improving
the impact of our work on the chemistry community. Chemistry
International will continue to be an important medium for us
to reach the worldwide chemistry community. Task group leaders are
encouraged to use CI to publish information on all new projects
as well as results of the completed projects. The Division is being
pro-active in recommendations for IUPAC representatives at IUPAC-sponsored
analytical chemistry conferences. Another forum for presentation
of our project outputs will be the GA and WCC in Beijing.
Building
bridges to other organisations. The joint ACD-WPQA meeting showed
that many new dynamics can be brought to our activities by discussing
and collaborating on focused issues with other organizations, IUPAP,
IAEA, UNIDO, ICSU. The workshop gave the opportunity for closer
contacts and discussions at decision-making levels.
ACD and
analytical chemistry in developing countries. Capacity building
in developing countries is identified as one of IUPAC objectives.
The Division wishes to develop its own activities in this direction.
The Division is fortunate in having an active NR from India (Jaya
Arunachalam) and in having several members with established links
with the African continent (Jan-Åke Jönsson, Walter Lund
and Roger Smith). Nelson Torto (Botswana), has joined the ACD as
a Provisional Member representing the IUPAC Associate Organisation,
SEANAC; we will also benefit greatly from his contribution.
Welcome
to new Division members
Jan-Åke
Jönsson joins the ACD as a Titular member. Jan-Åke
is professor and head of the Division of Analytical Chemistry at
Lund University, Sweden. He teaches environmental analysis and bioanalysis,
quality assurance matters and sample preparation to undergraduate
and graduate students. His research interests focus on the development
of membrane?based sampling and sample preparation techniques with
environmental and biomedical applications. Prof. Jönsson has
good contacts with the analytical chemistry community on the African
continent, having been involved scientifically and educationally
quite intensively with African universities, especially those in
Botswana and Addis Ababa.
Jan-Åke is not new to IUPAC. He was the Secretary of the Commission
on Separation Methods in Analytical Chemistry (V.3). He is now active
in three projects related to terminology in electromigration techniques
and separation sciences in general.
Welcome back Jan-Åke!
Nelson
Torto joins the ACD as a Provisional Member. Nelson is a
lecturer in general and analytical chemistry at the University of
Botswana with strong links to the University of Lund (Sweden) from
which he obtained his Ph.D. His research interests are in the areas
of sampling and sample handling for biological and environmental
samples. Nelson has been actively involved in promoting analytical
chemistry in Botswana and on the African continent in general. He
was one of the key persons in the formation of the Southern and
Eastern Africa network for Analytical Chemists (SEANAC) which held
its inaugural conference in July 2003 in Gaborone (Botswana) (cf.
Teamwork No. 6). He is going
to work on the creation of channels for the promotion, education
and training of African scientists and standardized curriculum for
analytical chemistry.
Mini-Symposium
on Emerging Issues in Metrology in Chemistry
Ales
Fajgelj
and Paul DeBièvre report:
In the framework
of the Analytical Chemistry Division Committee Meeting, and in line
with the initiative started at the Ottawa IUPAC General Assembly
last year, the workshop on "Emerging Issues in Metrology
in Chemistry" was organized. The meeting was opened by
W. Burkart (Deputy Director General IAEA) and A. Fajgelj (Chair
of IUPAC Interdivisional WPQA). It attracted participation from
an additional 17 persons, mostly representing IAEA.
Five lectures
were given by invited speakers and IUPAC members. Robert Wielgosz,
head of the Metrology in Chemistry department at the BIPM, presented
a lecture on Key comparisons at BIPM: purpose, examples, MRA and
CMCs. This was followed by a presentation on Metrological traceability
and measurement uncertainty concepts by Paul DeBievre
(IUPAC). After a coffee break Leslie Pendrill (secretary
of the Commission on Symbols, Units, Nomenclature, Atomic Masses
& Fundamental Constants, IUPAP) gave a physicist's view on future
needs for Metrological Traceability and Otto Loesener-Diaz
(industrial development officer at United Nations Industrial Development
Organization, UNIDO) presented UNIDO activities in metrology and
related issues. The symposium finished with a presentation on Metrological
traceability in special fields presented by Manfred Groening
(head of the Isotope Hydrology Laboratory at the IAEA) and A.
Fajgelj (IAEA).
The Mini-symposium
was a welcome learning event. Metrology in chemistry has
been identified, together with continuing efforts in the field of
quality assurance, as one of the focal areas for the ACD medium
term plan. The basic aim of the workshop was to inform ACD Committee
members and other participants on the status of the field and current
international initiatives. In parallel this workshop provided an
excellent opportunity to present and discuss the background and
plan for the IUPAC proposal for the ICSU grant programme 2005. Finally,
this workshop was a very good opportunity to further strengthen
the existing co-operation between IUPAC, IUPAP and IAEA and also
to expand it to UNIDO. After the event, a courtesy visit was paid
to D. Liang and O. Loesener at UNIDO to discuss involvement of UNIDO
in the IUPAC proposal submitted to ICSU on "Metrological
Traceability: a Fair Basis for Trade".
[Ed: We
express our thanks to A. Fajgelj for the fantastic organisation
of the Minisymposium.]
New
project initiatives
At its meeting
in Vienna the ACD voted funds for the new project: Standard
Definitions of Terms Relating to Mass Spectrometry. The
Task Group chair is Kermit Murray. The project is a direct off-shoot
from the ACD workshop on Genomics and Proteomics held at
the Ottawa GA.
Kermit
Murray reports:
Widely accepted
standard definitions of terms are necessary for clear communication
in the discussion and dissemination of results. This is particularly
important for multidisciplinary fields such as mass spectrometry.
The introduction of soft ionization methods for the analysis of
biological molecules has expanded the scope of mass spectrometry
from its early roots in the analysis of inorganic and organic species
into the fields of biology and medicine. This expansion in scope
and the ten years since the last update of standard terms and definitions
make it important to undertake a revision of these terms at this
time. Mass spectrometry nomenclature is under the purview of IUPAC's
Analytical Chemistry Division and is published in the Compendium
of Analytical Nomenclature (i.e. Orange Book). The goal of the project
"Standard Definitions of Terms Relating to Mass Spectrometry"
is to update these terms and definitions in close conjunction with
the mass spectrometry journal editors and national and international
mass spectrometry societies.
For more details, see <www.iupac.org/projects/2003/2003-056-2-500.html>
Next funding round
The closing
date for the next round of contestable funding for Projects is fast
approaching. For consideration, new Project proposals must be submitted
and referred to internal and external reviewers before April
30, 2004. It is not too late, if you act now!
For more info,
see <www.iupac.org/divisions/V/activities.html>