Letters
Academic Training for the Real World S i r : T h e demand for analytical chem ists in the U.S. is at an all time high. Yet, very often, the course offerings in academic institutions do not properly prepare analytical chemists for the types of job challenges they will en counter in industrial positions. Cur rent courses in analytical chemistry do provide excellent backgrounds in the theory of the chemistry and instru mentation involved in qualitative and quantitative analysis. However, they are usually embedded in a matrix which focuses attention on the method rather t h a n on the logical dissection of the analytical problems normally en countered in quality control, process control and research analytical labora tories. An industrial analytical chem ist should not be a spectrdscopist, or an electrochemist, or a'separations chemist. He needs to be an analytical chemist, aware of the strengths and weaknesses of many chemical and in strumental techniques, and have the ability to specify variable solutions to the large spectrum of problems he will encounter in practice. T h e nature of academic analytical chemistry pre cludes this overview. Yet, industrial chemical laborato ries have superb staff who have learned to command this talent by years of experience. Some people criti cize industry for not participating enough in the educational process, partaking of the product and giving little in return. There is certainly evi dence at VPI&SU t h a t industry has recognized its obligation, and the unique role t h a t it can play in the training process of analytical chem ists. Industrial chemical laboratories are contributing to an interesting edu cational experience for graduate stu dents and for the faculty. This year, a course in industrial analytical chemis try is being offered at VPI&SU. A team of qualified industrial chemists from firms such as Exxon, Union Car bide, Princeton Applied Research, Lederle Laboratories, plus govern
mental chemists from the National In stitutes of Health and the U.S. De p a r t m e n t of Agriculture are coordinat ing an offering t h a t exposes students to topics such as: • X-ray fluorescence analysis • matrix problems in inductively cou pled plasma • industrial voltammetric techniques • process control analyzers and tech niques • Fourier IR techniques in develop ment laboratories • polymer testing in the quality con trol and plant environment • flow injection analysis in high vol ume screening programs • metabolite screening by G C / L C / M S techniques • electronic data retrieval to meet sci entific needs and regulatory require ments. T h e instructors are spending several days at VPI&SU, presenting formal lectures on their topics, and serving as coordinators of panel discussions in the area. Before their visits, the speak ers provide annotated bibliographies on their topics. T h e students, on their own initiative, use these bibliogra phies to give brief introductory talks in the area before the speakers arrive, and as source material for application talks after the speakers leave. In this way the VPI&SU students are being exposed to the way samples must be processed in industrial labs, how financial and manpower decisions are made, and how to better prepare themselves for an industrial position. T h e companies and institutions in volved are making a very real contri bution to the improvement of the graduate education process, comple menting the capabilities of the aca demic staff. It is this type of coopera tion that the ACS Committee on In dustrial/Academic Interface has been attempting to foster. Raymond Dessy Department of Chemistry Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, Va. 24061
The New Averager your Noisy Signal has been waiting for...
Consider... • A n n o t a t e d C R T with cursor • I n d e p e n d e n t signal c h a n n e l s • 28-bit x 2 0 4 8 word RAM • Addition, Subtraction, In tegration • Averaging, Histograms, Transient S t o r a g e More Than An Averager. Use the Model 4 2 0 3 as a pro cessing digital oscilloscope t o c a p t u r e , quantify, m a n i p u l a t e a n d display single or repeating e v e n t s . M e m o r y partitioning, s i n g l e / d u a l c h a n n e l s , arith metic functions, four histo g r a m m o d e s , curve integra tion, a n d digital interface o p tions ( R S 2 3 2 , IEEE-488) b r o a d e n the Model 4 2 0 3 ' s s c o p e of uses. Before buying a n y signal averager, try the Model 4 2 0 3 in your laboratory. Call, write, or use the r e a d e r service card for the n e w Model 4 2 0 3 cata log. E G & G Princeton Applied R e s e a r c h Corporation · P . O . Box 2 5 6 5 · Princeton, Ν J 0 8 5 4 0 · (609) 4 5 2 - 2 1 1 1 .
EG&G PARC 539 C I R C L E 169 O N R E A D E R S E R V I C E C A R D For A d d i t i o n a l I n f o r m a t i o n Only
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 52, NO. 2, FEBRUARY 1980 · 217 A
Letters
THE CVC SUPERSPEC600... a speed demon in process gas analysis.
ELISA
The Superspec 600 utilizes a unique integrated mass spectrometer concept which enables it to display the relative abundance of a number of gases in less than one second. Accurate, sensitive down to 5 ppm levels, and reliable, Superspec 600 is invaluable in controlling manufacturing processes, monitoring pollution, leak detection, and a wealth of other applications. The system is self contained, portable and can withstand harsh industrial environments. And the Superspec 600 is priced less than other systems which can't measure up to its speedy performance. For complete specifications on this superior system, contact CVC today.
CVC
PRODUCTS, INC.
5 2 5 Lee Road, P.O. Box 1 8 8 6 Rochester, N.Y. 1 4 6 0 3 ( 7 1 6 ) 4 5 8 - 2 5 5 0 Telex: 9 7 - 8 2 6 9
See us at Pittsburgh Conference
Booths 910-912
CIRCLE 36 ON READER SERVICE CARD
LOW-GtST.UKII PBtFORMHMCE POLARIMETERS AND SACCHARIMETERS FOR RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONTROL The Autopol series are high precision, quality state-of-the-art instruments available at a price lower than all other automatics and even lower than many manually operated polarimeters. The only operating controls are two pushbuttons, Power and Reset, all other functions are fully automatic. For all the details contact the Polarimetry Experts, Rudolph Research, 40 Pier Lane, Box 1446, Fairfield, N.J, 07006 (201) 227-6810.
Sir: A new immunoassay technique has been developed. This technique is superior to radioimmunoassay (RIA), voltammetric immunoassay [Anal. Chem., 51, 1182 A (1979)], and fluo rescence immunoassay [Anal. Chem., 51, 33 A (1979)]. This new method called enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), as reported in Hospi tal Practice, (p 121, December 1978) is more sensitive, specific, safer and less expensive. T h e assay has a colorimetric end point which can be visual ized easily. A N A L Y T I C A L
CHEMISTRY
should consider inclusion of ELISA in future immunoassay articles for the benefit of those scientists still struggl ing to replace RIA with other methods. Dan Monroe Department of Medicine University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences Memphis, T e n n . 38163
Standardization of Photometric Detectors Sir: A Standard Practice (SP) for testing fixed-wavelength photometric detectors, t h e most commonly used detectors in H P L C , has been devel oped by a task group of Committee E-19 on Chromatography of t h e American Society for Testing and Ma terials (ASTM). T h e procedures contained in this S P provide t h e means for verifying the performance of any fixed-wavelength photometric detector, for monitoring the changes in a specific detector's performance, and for comparing t h e performance of different photometric detectors. Additional purposes of this method are to effect standardization of detector specifications and to satis fy t h e requirements of good laboratory practices. T h e method appears as S t a n d a r d Practice Ε 685 in t h e 1979 Annual Book of A S T M Standards P a r t 42. Copies are available from the writers below or may be ordered as a single method from ASTM, 1916 Race St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103. Georgia T. Fritz Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory P.O. Box 1663, MS 920 Los Alamos, N.M. 87545
RUDOLPH RESEARCH
the Polarimetry Experts
See us at the Pittsburgh Conference, Booths 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 9 CIRCLE 181 ON READER SERVICE CARD 218 A · ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 5 2 , NO. 2, FEBRUARY 1980
Thomas Wolf Colgate-Palmolive Co. 909 River Rd. Piscataway, N.J. 08854
