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GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY photograph of each pill also was taken. Niklaus Tüller, the state pharmacist, says the project was a success. It was possible to inform the ravers about the dangers of the pills and discuss strategies to help reduce the risks. Although the goal was not to demand abstinence, some people refused to take their pills after the discussions and even crushed them on the ground.
The team verified that most pills sold as Ecstasy contained 60–120 mg of MDMA as the single active compound. (The analytical result was always disclosed to the individual who had brought the sample.) However, in some pills, other drugs such as amphetamine and caffeine were found. One type of pill, called “Alien”, had 2 mg of atropine plus caffeine as the active ingredients. Because that combination was particularly dangerous, the ravers were warned about it with a flyer. However, despite these results and the continued interest of Tüller, Allemann, and the others who were directly involved, everyone doubts that the project will be allowed to continue. Strictly speaking, the work is illegal, and there is little reason to think that will change anytime soon. The HPLC setup for testing Ecstasy (top) at a dance party. Veronika Meyer DANIEL ALLEMANN
ary phase, and a fast-scanning UV detector, which allowed the storage of the spectra of the separated compounds. The separation was done by a water– acetonitrile gradient with phosphoric acid and hexylamine. Within 12 min, it was possible to separate norephedrine, ephedrine, amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), methamphetamine, MDMA, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine (MDE), and caffeine. Although the run-to-run time was ~20 min— allowing a maximum of three analyses per hour—this approach gave an overview of the types of pills consumed during the rave. “The analysis was free,” quips Allemann, “but those ravers who were interested had to [talk] with a [drug-prevention worker], fill out a questionnaire, and . . . leave us a quarter of their pill”— which had cost them $10 dollars or more. For the assay, 10 mg of the material was weighed, sonicated with the mobile phase, filtrated, and injected. A
LGC goes global? The U.K. company LGC, formerly the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, announced in October that it will establish a strategic partnership with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), a global center for biological resources that is based in the United States. LGC says that the partnership signals the company’s move into the global marketplace for analytical services. Essentially, the LGC–ATCC partnership will boost LGC’s current pharmaceuticals section, which provides services in analytical technology, measurement, and in vitro testing for the pharmaceutical R&D industry, which is looking at the discovery and development of novel drugs. LGC is the United Kingdom’s largest independent analytical laboratory. Previously a government agency, it is now privately owned by the LGC staff, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the venture capital group 3i. However, it still acts as
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the official “government chemist”. For the international research community, the move represents an important step closer to reaching a global standard for biomedical research, says LGC. ATCC is a nonprofit organization providing biological products, technical services, and educational programs to private industry, government, and academic organizations. It will supply biomaterials such as its most popular cell lines and microbiological strains and related products to LGC for direct distribution. These will be held instock in LGC’s facilities, allowing faster and purportedly lower-cost distribution to researchers throughout Europe. Less commonly used biomaterials will be shipped directly from LGC to customers from ATCC’s central repository in the United States. LGC also has facilities in France, Spain, and Sweden, which will, it says, benefit researchers. “The combined force
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of LGC and ATCC will make a real difference to the European biological and biomedical research community, and supports our commitment to providing authentic research materials and standards worldwide,” enthuses LGC’s Head of Reference Materials, Ray Ah-Sun. “We can now offer a cost-effective solution to increasingly time-critical research.” LGC also highlights the possibility that its renewed growth in Europe will provide mainland European researchers with better access to LGC’s technical staff. Overall, LGC and ATCC hope to offer faster delivery of authentic ATCC materials, local technical support, lower costs (including shipping costs), and easier payment either in local currency or euros. In addition, they expect to streamline the paperwork and expedite importation and delivery of materials across Europe. David Bradley
