This item first appeared in 2007
Event review: Pharmaceutical and forensic analysis, Dublin
The annual series of one day technical events aimed at the pharmaceutical industry, organised by the Republic of Ireland Regional Group (along with the local Royal Society of Chemistry sect ion and the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland), took on an enlarged format this year at the suggestion of the host for the event, the Dublin Institute of Technology.
The original theme for the meeting was process analytical technology (PAT), and when the Institute suggested an additional seminar on forensic science, to capitalise on the its popular and successful forensic and environmental analysis course, it was decided to hold both meetings, on 15 and 16 March, with a dinner on the evening of the first day.
The forensic event was a sell out. The programme included lectures on DNA analysis, fire investigation, and using isotope analysis to determine the geographical origins of artefacts or even bodies. The guest speaker at the dinner was Marie Cassidy, the Republic of Ireland state pathologist, who took the opportunity to emphasise the value of increasing links between criminal pathology and academic forensic science.
The original pharmaceutical analysis event also drew a large audience. In addition to several industrial PAT case studies, several analytical techniques were discussed, including Raman spectroscopy, which thanks to recent developments promises to be of value to the industry.
David Birkett,
Secretary,
SCI RoI Regional Group