Congratulations to Sara McGrath at the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition for winning the 2017 NACRW Excellence in Sample Prep Award!

Compared to other classes of drugs, benzodiazepine abuse is relatively uncommon. However, there has been an upward trend of using them along with other drugs, such as alcohol and opioids, in order to achieve an enhanced overall high. 

Separation Science has developed its fourth online eSeminar focusing on advances in forensics and toxicology. Taking place in two sessions, one each on 28 and 30 November 2017, this two-day online educational event will provide forensic scientists, toxicologists and those who work in laboratories within the forensic and toxicology industries with updates and guidance on the latest methods, protocols, processes and applications of chromatography, mass spectrometry and related techniques with key experts providing practical insights into their respective fields.

Our very own Forensic Technical Specialist, Tina Fanning, will be presenting in conjunction with an extensive panel of additional key experts in the field. The e-Seminar will comprise 7 presentations over 2 sessions featuring UCT’s platform topic, “A Modified QuEChERS Approach for the Extraction of Common Prescription and Illicit Drugs from Liver Prior to LC/MS-MS Analysis.” Click below to register for this exciting and informative event: 

http://webinar.sepscience.com/advances-in-forensics-and-toxicology-eseminar-form

In recent years, the abuse of newer psychoactive substances (NPS) such as synthetic cathinones or ‘bath salts’ has become a major public health concern. These compounds were initially sold legally and labeled “not for human consumption.” Three popular drugs of this type are methylone, mephedrone, and 3, 4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). Unfortunately, there is currently no information available on the teratogenicity of these compounds, or of the extent to which they cross the placenta. In a recent paper authored by Lauren G. Strange et al., published in the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology ((2017) 63 9–13) this issue was  addressed by employing UCT’s flagship sorbent Clean Screen® DAU followed by analysis utilizing HILIC LC-MS/MS. The purpose of this study was to examine the pharmacokinetic profile of the ‘bath salts’ in a pregnancy model using an animal model.