PHARMACEUTICAL
CLINICAL
CHEMICAL
FOOD
w w w. b i o s c i e n c e w o r l d . c a
JANUARY 2012 Volume 16, Number 1
Active micro and nano-structured
Determining rosuvastatin
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optical spectrometry
ENVIRONMENT
in human plasma by SPE-LC-MS/MS
R&D News.......................... 1 Appointments..................... 6 Pharma Notes..................... 7 New Products................... 15 Calendar........................... 17 Career Spotlight............... 18
NEW MANITOBA AAFC LAB BOLSTERS DEFENCE AGAINST PLANT DISEASES A major upgrade to a laboratory at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Morden, MB, has resulted in its certification as a Plant Pest Containment Level 3 (PPC3) facility. Originally established in 1989 as a containment lab, primarily for research on flax rust, it is the first PPC3 facility to be certified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency under the new ‘Containment Standards for Facilities Handling Plant Pests’ in Canada. PPC3 is the highest containment level for plant pests. Containment is achieved through the use of specialized facilities, stringent operational procedures and state-of-the-art equipment. The lab provides the highest level of safety available for both staff and the public. An example of the kind of work scientists are performing in PPC3 containment at the Morden Research Station (MRS) is their investigation of Ug99 stem rust,
a plant disease that has the potential to devastate wheat crops around the world. AAFC scientists are accelerating their efforts to characterize new sources of resistance and develop new rustresistant varieties. This research will give Canadian farmers the capacity to ward off a national disease outbreak resulting in a drop in wheat production. In 2009, the federal government of Canada allocated $250,000 over two years to begin updating the laboratory at MRS. The funding went towards modernizing the controlled environment facility that is used by scientists to conduct research on exotic plant pathogens. Crucial additional support of the project came from AAFC’s Animal and Plant Health Research Initiative under the Growing Forward policy agreement. The renovation was completed in March 2011 and certified in fall.
FLORIDA SET TO HOST PITTCON 2012 Inside the PPC3 lab at Morden, AAFC’s Dr. Tom Fetch rates wheat plants for their reaction to the pathogen causing Ug99 stem rust.
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The annual Pittcon Conference & Exposition will be held in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center March 11-15, 2012. Long known as the gathering place for top minds in science, this worldclass conference attracts leaders in scientific and technical innovation. “Pittcon is a most dynamic venue for scientists and researchers to come together in one place to see the newest equipment and learn the latest analytical and measure-
ment techniques in areas such as food and product safety; environmental hazards; homeland security; medical; and drug research and development - all of which impact our everyday lives,” says Jon Peace, president of Pittcon 2012. Organizer’s say the event is the world’s largest annual laboratory science conference and exposition. This year’s event will feature an estimated 1,000 exhibitors, Continued on page 3