281 Cerno BioscienceandAgilent Technologiesannounce they will jointly market Cerno's MassWorks calibration software to Agilent GC/ MSD ChemStation users. This novel calibration increases the mass accuracy of Agilent's single quadrupole GC/ MSD sufficiently to identify unknown compounds. This normally requires use of much more expensive, larger instruments such as Quadrupole Time- of- Flight, or Fourier Transform Ion Resonance mass spectrometers. MassWorks for GC/ MSD uses Cerno's patented technology to calibrate raw MS data from Agilent's GC/ MSD using peak shape, followed by CLIP formula ID based on spectral accuracy. This technique dramatically improves mass accuracy and enables single- quad instruments to identify unknown compounds. In addition to enabling compound identification without a library, the formula ID function also speeds and adds confidence to library searches. The combined capabilities of the Agilent GC/ MSD Chemstation and Cerno's MassWorks means there is now an economic alternative to high-resolution GC/ MS systems for formula ID. " The combination of Agilent's GC/ MS with Cerno's MassWorks holds real value for end users," said Chris Toney, Agilent vice president and general manager, Mass Spec Systems. " Customers can use their workhorse single- quad instruments to identify unknowns rather than rely on more specialized instruments with associated costs and delays." For further informaton visit www. agilent. com or www. cernobioscience. com CBS 103, the latest edition of CAMAG's Bibliography Service, is available now from CAMAG's UK distributor, Omicron Research Limited. The lead article focuses on HPTLC as a fast and reliable method of detecting harmful, illegal dyes used in spice powders and mixes. Also featured is the pioneering work being carried out determining unknown plant extracts using planar chromatography. The use of some carcinogenic azo dyes, such as Sudan I, in spices to enhance their red and orange colouring is illegal. Since 2007, the State Laboratory in Zurich has been using HPTLC as a valuable tool in identifying these harmful dyes in such spices as chilli, paprika and curry powder. HPTLC is particularly suited to this type of analysis due to its rapid and matrix- robust screening of many samples in parallel, making it reliable and cost- effective. The advantages of HPTLC can also be applied to the screening of unknown plant extracts, a technique commonly used in cosmetic applications for identifying potential candidates for development of new cosmetic relevant compounds. High sample throughput results in short analysis times and low costs whilst the variety of derivatization reactions makes planar chromatography a powerful tool in this competitive field. Copies of CBS 103 are available, free of charge from Omicron on info@ omicron- uk. com or 01672 541425. Calibration Software Enables SingleHPTLCLeading The Way In Food Safety Quadrupole Instruments to Easily Identify Unknowns

As the turn of the year rapidly approaches, it is that time again when those readers of Chromatography Today who are members of The Chromatographic Society will hopefully be digging into their pockets to fork out their membership for yet another year. There might be a few out there who are not members. Think about it 2010 could be the big year when you decided to commit yourself to supporting the Society in its mission to promote the development of separation science and, more importantly for you, take advantage of the many benefits conferred upon you through membership. There will be plenty said throughout the year on the different benefits but first it's worth looking at the primary activity of the Society i. e. organising topical, relevant symposia in separation science. Usually we are talking about four such meetings every year and you just need to attend one and you have more than paid for your membership with the discount from the members' registration fee. Just e- mail chromsoc@ meetingmakers. co. uk for a membership application form! 22November/ December 2009 Back in 2006 in the Society's Golden Jubilee year a series of meetings on separation sciences in the pharmaceutical industry proved very popular. Four years on, we could be excused for repeating the formula but it has quite rightly been decided that while we should continue our policy of embracing the opportunity to use prestigious major pharmaceutical venues we should keep the meeting themes as broad as possible. In this spirit, the first meeting of 2010 will take place on Thursday, March 18th at the brand new conference centre ( pictured below) at AstraZeneca's Alderley Park site in parkland Cheshire and will cover the theme " Advances in High Resolution and High Speed Separations". While this may have been a popular theme of late, there is still much mileage and interest in it. In reviewing the latest developments in high resolution, high speed separations and associated detection, specific attention will be given to ultra high pressure liquid chromatography ( UHPLC), two-dimensional chromatography and the use of gas and supercritical fluid chromatography for problem solving. Speakers already confirmed include Peter Schoenmakers ( University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Patrik Petersson ( AstraZeneca R& D Lund, Sweden) and Frédéric Lynen ( University of Ghent, Belgium). While elsewhere in Chromatography Today, Chris Bevan bemoans the lack of UK conference delegates visiting Eastern Europe, the Society cannot be accused of not bringing the best of European separation science to the UK and this meeting certainly follows the trend. Meeting organisers, Adrian Clarke and Amjad Khan do though promise to fit in a UK speaker or two! The show moves on in May to another pharmaceutical venue for our Spring Symposium. For the first time, a Society meeting will be hosted by Merck, Sharp and Dohme ( MSD). Paul Ferguson ( Pfizer) who has been very much instrumental in ensuring very high quality scientific programmes at recent Society Spring Symposia will be working with a team from MSD's Hoddesden site in Hertfordshire to stage a one-and- a- half day symposium on 19th - 20th May with the theme " Current Method Development Strategies in Separation Science". Encompassed within this theme will be sessions on ( a) ways to optimise separations based on mobile phase ( b) ways to optimise separations based on stationary phase ( c) quality- by- design approaches to method development ( d) GC method development. Speakers confirmed already, Dr Roman Szucs ( Pfizer, UK), Dr Rudi Sneyers ( Johnson & Johnson), Dr Chris Welch ( Merck, USA), have a pharmaceutical background but there will be something for everyone in the programme being planned. A very important, integral part of the Society's 2010 programme is ISC 2010 taking place in Valencia from September 12th to 16th. The Society is very proud of its heritage as being, with the French and German separation science societies, one of the three main pillars supporting this longstanding historic series which began way back in London in 1956. The series has generally rotated around France, Conference Centre at AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, Cheshire The Chromatographic Society 2010