Conference Report: Pittcon Conference and Expo 2011

Abstract

Pittcon is the world’s largest annual conference and exposition for laboratory science, organized by The Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy. This year, for the first time since 1997, Pittcon was held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA, USA. The meeting that started as a humble gathering of analytical researchers more than six decades ago has become a central institution for an entire field. With more than 17,000 attendees from 90 countries, 1000 exhibitors and 2200 technical sessions on topics ranging from the latest techniques and applications in analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy to emerging scientific disciplines such as nanotechnology, genomics, drug discovery and bioterrorism, Pittcon is a forum in which researchers and instrument manufacturers from around the globe can meet face-to-face. In addition, the conference offered a unique variety of courses ranging in length from half a day to 2 days. Many of this year’s presentations focused on finding the best means of solving complex problems in molecular biology, drug development and environmental sciences. As in the last couple of years, webcasts of selected symposia will continue to be available for 60 days following the conference. The growing field of bioanalysis was recognized by organizing 11 invited symposiums, 13 poster sessions, eight oral sessions, one workshop, five organized contributed sessions and one award meeting, which on average represents a twofold increase compared with Pittcon 2010. Bioanalytical topics ranged from nanoscale sensors to new developments in MS to robotics for high-throughput analysis in a clinical setting.