Academic Training for the Real World

Real World. Sir: The demandfor analytical chem- ists in the U.S. is at an all time high. Yet, very often, the course offerings in academic institution...
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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

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ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 52, NO. 2, FEBRUARY 1980 · 217 A

Letters

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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

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