5 minute read
App Reviews
After years of exclusively being held in Europe, the International Mass Spectrometry Conference (IMSC) made its North American debut in Toronto.
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Hosted by the Canadian Society for Mass Spectrometry and the Canadian scientific community at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC), the conference ran from Aug. 20 to 26 and drew more than 1,200 delegates. Opportunities were plentiful to network, as well as learn about the latest advances in the science of determining and characterizing ionized molecules, including those that are of importance to the environment, industry, health, and medicine.
The conference featured a dynamic week of daily scientific sessions, exhibitions, workshops, courses, and seminars. Individuals that have made significant contributions in the field also got their time in the spotlight with a special award portion to the event.
Most importantly, the conference not only brought the most recent findings in mass spectrometry science to the forefront, but also served as a stage for Canadian scientists to showcase their work.
“Canadian scientists have made significant contributions to mass spectrometry, and many of these advancements were made by Toronto-based scientists specifically,” said professor Michael Siu, vice president of Research and Innovation at the University of Windsor, who led the charge in bringing IMSC to Toronto as an Ambassador of the Leaders Circle. He adds that Toronto has one of the highest concentrations of mass spectrometers in Canada, with the Greater Toronto Area being home to two mass spectrometry manufacturers, SCIEX (now a division of Danaher) and IONICS (now a division of PerkinElmer).
These were just some of the reasons that he and others felt made Toronto an ideal place to host the conference. And already, hopes are high that the conference will return in future years.
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Science Dictionary
There are so many different industries, sectors and aspects to science in Canada. Biology, chemistry and physics have valuable intersections, but there can be gaps between experts of each branch. An astronomer, for instance, wouldn’t have the same knowledge as a marine biologist, just as a marine biologist wouldn’t fully understand the human heart as well as a cardiologist. The Science Dictionary by Farlex is the bridge to this gap. With over 100,000 terms from multiple scientific dictionaries and encyclopaedias, users gain access to a wealth of definitions that are industry certified. All disciplines, from computer science to environmental science, are well documented and well represented. Particularly beneficial to the sciences, where spelling and pronunciations can be notoriously complex, is the voice search feature. Simply pronounce the word into a supported device and the dictionary will search itself. If the opposite is true, and you have found a written word but aren’t sure of its pronunciation, the app features 35,000 audio clips for American and British speakers. There are also “starts with”, “ends with” and “contains” advanced searchers if you only have a part of the word. All in all, Farlex’s science dictionary delivers a plethora of information – and quickly. The downsides are that the offline mode is quite impaired, swiping through ads can get tiresome. But for a free app, it’s a decent trade-off.
Science Journal
Google’s new app, Science Journal, is a tool for doing science with your smartphone. You simply use the sensors in your phone or connect to external sensor source and conduct experiments on the world around you, including measuring sound, light, and more. As examples, you can use the microphone to investigate the sound around you or use the accelerometers to investigate movement. Additionally this Android app helps you visualize and graph this data in an easy-to-understand way. Science Journal offers two different ways of visualizing your measurements—meter mode and graph mode. Meter mode displays your data with a changing animation and a numerical value. Graph mode displays your data in a line graph. Within this mode you can zoom in to take a closer look at your graph and scroll back to see data from earlier observations. In terms of cons, the app doesn’t let you do a ton of measurements so far, but Google is working to expand its functionality. It’s also partnering with San Francisco’s Exploratorium to develop external kits that can be used in conjunction with the Science Journal app. Google also plans to expand the App to open source by end of summer. Users can also access the App’s online forum for troubleshooting questions.
Flexible by Design
Comprehensive options for changing needs
The BioFlo® 320 offers a wide range > Compatible with the BioBLU® of options to meet your ever changing Single-use Vessel portfolio needs. It controls both single-use and > Extensive working volume range autoclavable vessels. Its universal of 250 mL–40 L on a single gas control strategy allows for both bench-scale control platform microbial and cell culture applications. > Multi-unit control of up to eight The BioFlo 320 can do it all. systems from a single interface improves efficiency
