LCGC Europe-01-01-2008

Selective sample preparation techniques are particularly attractive for the analysis of trace amounts of small molecules in complex matrices. In this month's instalment, columnist Ron Majors covers the field of immunoextraction, a technique that employs immobilized antibodies to selectively capture specific analytes using molecular recognition via antibody–antigen interactions. Recently, the introduction of commercial products for specific high-volume environmental and food safety applications should spur further applications of this technique.

How to avoid an expensive shot in the dark.

The 59th Annual Pittsburgh Conference and Exposition on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon 2008) will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, from 2–6 March, 2008. Pittcon 2008's Technical Program will be in the format of invited symposia, organized contributed oral sessions, contributed oral sessions, workshops, new product forums and poster sessions to cover the latest developments in the traditional and emerging disciplines of analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy. Following on from last year's success, the networking sessions will be expanded.

Research Group: Prof. Ernst Lankmayr, Institute for Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Graz.

This portable wireless unit gives you instant readings of electricity use in the home.

In this month's "GC Connections" instalment, John Hinshaw discusses computerized pneumatics for gas chromatography. This is the first of a two-part series that reviews computerized pneumatics and some important considerations that arise in the course of normal use.

The retention behaviour of several compounds has been compared for their selectivity using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography with binary water mobile phases composed of methanol, acetonitrile or tetrahydrofuran as modifiers.