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March 2010 Laboratory Focus
pittcon sets the stage for 2010 That’s a wrap on Pittcon 2010! The ever-productive conference was held in Orlando, FL, from Feb. 28 - Mar. 5 this year and it did not disappoint. Organized by the Pittsburgh Conference and Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh (SSP) and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (SACP), Pittcon is the always one of the most important times of the year for Laboratory Focus. With more than 900 exhibitors on the floor this year, Pittcon was a showcase for 2010’s newest and most exciting technologies. One of the best things about Pittcon is the wide variety of industry sectors the conference covers; everything from bioanalytical chemistry and forensics, to food analysis and even homeland security. Industry giants such as Thermo Fisher, Agilent, Waters, Wyatt and PANalytical, as well as hundreds of others were on hand to showcase their latest and greatest products, services and ideas. We’ve highlighted a number of the new products on hand at the conference in this issue. This year’s Pittcon certainly took new steps to providing attendees with the ability to truly experience everything the conference had to offer without having to be in two places at once. With all the networking sessions, product showcases and research presentations, it was often difficult to decide which events to attend, but, this year, Pittcon provided free access to registered conference attendees to select symposia webcasts, sessions and exhibitors for two months post-conference via the pittconnect.com website. A quick glance at the site revealed that over 600 attendees were actively taking advantage of the site. The conference networking sessions this year provided face-to-face meetings and discussion forums for some life science topics that should be familiar to most of our readers, including: bioseparation, biofuel production, and non-invasive drug monitoring and biomarker determination. It was a very busy week and there were a number of major players with big announcements that created a lot of buzz on the floor. Merck announced that they have agreed to pay US$7.2 billion to buy U.S. biotech equipment maker Millipore. They believe the move will expand they’re presence beyond drugs and chemicals and into the life science sector, though according to news reports, the deal is not expected to close until the second half of this year. Thermo Fisher was also on hand to talk about its recent acquisition of Ahura Scientific, a company specializing in field-deployed analytical instruments for human health and public safety. The deal, worth US$145 million provides Thermo Fisher with an expanded portfolio of portable analytical devices designed to provide customers with the ability to rapidly identify and authenticate a range of molecular and elemental substances in the field. With Pittcon setting the stage it should be an exciting year!
Career spotLiGHt Compiled by BioTalent Canada Position: Regulatory Affairs Specialist/Safety Officer Name: Karen Long Company: Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Salary Range: Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience
What I do:
The regulatory affairs function serves as a liaison between the company and a regulatory authority, such as Health Canada or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I am the last person on the team to check the data before it goes to the FDA for approval. If the project team can convince me that the product dossier is consistent and complete, then I can convince the FDA. My days vary, but the work can be divided into thirds: reviewing documents, attending meetings, and writing reports. As the company safety officer, I also do inspections, work with external contractors, and investigate funny smells!
What education and skills do candidates need for this position?
I have a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a Masters in Pharmaceutical Science. There is no specific training for this job. People tend to fall into this role “by accident.” Some people have a life science background, but mainly they come from physical sciences or engineering. In this job you get to learn a little bit about everything (chemistry, manufacturing, preclinical and clinical research). People who work in this position should love to write, which is something many scientists don’t enjoy. Diplomacy is another useful skill; you need to be able to persuade without being offensive. You should have high standards, attention to detail, and the ability to meet deadlines. It’s not uncommon to have several people working on different sections of a project, so you need to be able to bring it all together and have each section consistent with the others, while meeting the deadline. You require good grammar and an understanding of the technology you are helping to develop. Computer programming is fast becoming a useful skill, as many regulatory authorities are now asking for electronic submissions. Lastly, you need to learn and interpret the regulations for all of the countries in which your company is doing business, and teach them to your team.
What are the best parts of your job?
You know your work will help people, and there is no greater feeling than that.
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