Winners of the Best Oral Presentation Awards at the SCS Fall Meeting 2024

In collaboration with Metrohm, SCS offered again the very attractive and prestigious Fall Meeting Best Oral Presentation Award program. Combined with the Best Poster Presentation Awards program this is probably the most highly remunerated award program in the field, and we are very proud and happy to cooperate with our sponsoring partners. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to Metrohm for their generous support and congratulate all winners for their fantastic contributions.

Uwe Loyall, Head of Competence Center Voltammetry, CVS and Stability Measuring Instruments of Metrohm awarded a total of 17 winners at the end of the SCS Fall Meeting 2024 on September 5, 2024.

Winners of the Best Oral Presentation Awards 2024

Céline Wittwer, SCS
06.09.2024

Ilmac Lausanne 2024 is set to open on 18 September

Visitors can look forward to 18 and 19 September 2024 when Ilmac Lausanne becomes the biggest event for the chemical and life sciences industry in western Switzerland. At Expo Beaulieu Lausanne, more than 190 companies and associations will be exhibiting for the first time in the spacious Hall 36, whose 5,400 square meters are fully booked. The two-day event is expected to attract more than 2,500 decision-makers and experts from the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Taking advantage of the comprehensive trade fair and the international conference for inspiration, networking and knowledge transfer, they are looking for new ideas and solutions for their day-to-day work.

“Inspiring the Future of Chemistry and Life Sciences” is Ilmac’s pledge, and one that Brand Director Céline Futterknecht believes can be delivered. She is looking forward to the lifescience community coming together in western Switzerland. “Ilmac Lausanne is unique and offers high-quality, international content, innovations and megatrends in an unforgettable atmosphere. It is a place for inspiration and networking.

To date, a large number of interested parties have pre-registered already. Personally, I’m even aiming to reach the 3,000-visitor mark.” For the first time, the ticket price includes all-round catering on both days with coffee and croissants, a networking lunch, drinks, ice cream and an aperitif on the first evening of the trade fair.

Registration
Register for free as participant with the SCS opromo code: scs-ilmac24: Link to the Ticket Shop

Opening with the participation of State Councillor Isabelle Moret
The official opening of Ilmac 2024 will take place on Wednesday, September 18 at 5.00 pm. This event, supported by the Office for the Promotion of Economic Development and Innovation (SPEI), will benefit from the presence of State Councillor Isabelle Moret, Head of the DEIEP. The State Councillor will speak at the inauguration together with Céline Futterknecht, Ilmac Brand Director, Magali Bischof, Secretary General of BioAlps, and David Spichiger, Managing Director of the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS). Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for networking over drinks, finger food and music.

More exhibitors, more quality, more benefits
With more than 190 exhibitors from 20 different industries and 20 countries, there will be more companies in attendance at Ilmac 2024 than at the last trade fair two years ago, including notable leading companies from the chemical and life-sciences sector, such as Agilent, Bruker, Endress+Hauser, Milian, Thermo Fisher and Siemens. The newly established Startup Area is also fully booked for its debut with many newcomers from the biotech and labtech sectors. In addition to the exhibition, visitors can look forward to professionally moderated experiments, roundtables and panel discussions in the Speakers Corner and the Future Talks Corner.

Mapping the value chain of the life-science industry
The exhibiting companies will be presenting their products and solutions in the specialist areas of lab technology, diagnostics and bioanalysis, biotechnology, process technology, robotics and automation, information technology and pharmaceutical logistics.
There will also be a focus on interdisciplinary areas, such as digitisation, process optimisation and sustainability. Sustainability is another issue that is close to Brand Director Céline Futterknecht’s heart: “At MCH Group, we incorporate sustainability criteria in our decision-making processes, internal workflows, investments, the supply chain and our services and products – and Ilmac is no exception.”

Ilmac Conference with an international flavour
The science-driven conference agenda has been developed in close cooperation with the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS), Bio Alps Association and Swiss Biotech Association (SBA). Top domestic and international speakers will address the latest trends and challenges in their outstanding presentations. The presentations will be held in English.

Ilmac Conference, Day 1: «Latest Advances in (Semi-) Non-targeted Analysis»
Non-target-screening has developed in recent years from research into a promising method with a wide range of applications in analytical sciences. In the morning session renowned experts show latest advances of these methods in material science, laboratory medicine, water and agricultural research. The afternoon session will focus on specific applications in food chemistry, such as general spectra interpretation, non-target and semi-non-target contaminant search like PFAS. The symposium is intended for participants from academia, expert laboratories and industry.
The line-up of keynote speakers includes Oliver Schmidt from the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, Dr Thomas Letzel from Analytisches Forschungsinstitut for Non-Target Screening, Augsburg, Dr Samy Boulos from ETH Zurich and Dr Xanthippe Theurillat from the Nestle Research Center, Lausanne.

See the details program including abstracts

Download the program flyer Ilmac Conference 2024

Future of Labs, AI and ML
The second day will centre on Lab 4.0. In Session 1 “Future of Labs – Latest innovations and outlook”, key players such as JAG Jakob, SEED Biosciences, CEIDOS and HEPIA will be showcasing their case studies. Session 2 “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applied to drug development” will present case studies from key players developing and using AI and ML innovations to optimise and accelerate drug development. Among the high-calibre speakers are Jo Varshey of VeriSIM Life, Marion Bossy of SOPHiA GENETICS, Jean-Philippe Fricker of Cerebras and Loïc Roch of Atinary. The programme will be rounded off with networking events and a “Startup Pitch Session by Bio Alps & SBA”. Attendance of the Ilmac Conference is included in the ticket price.

Digital trade-fair preparation and networking via the app
Anyone who wants to make the best-possible preparations for their visit to the trade fair can visit 365.ilmac.ch for in-depth information, to view the interactive hall plan, to book appointments at the Ilmac Conference and in the Speakers Corner and to network with other people.

Detailed program information and tickets are available online at www.ilmac.ch. The tradefair management recommends traveling by public transport. From Lausanne railway station, bus-line 21 reaches the Beaulieu stop in 10 minutes.

Ilmac 2024 – Inspiring the Future of Chemistry and Life Sciences.
18 and 19 September 2024 from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Networking aperitif on 18 September from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
For details, please visit: www.ilmac.ch

Media Contacts
Anne Klipfel, Marketing & Communications Manager

Céline Futterknecht, Brand (Exhibition) Director 
 

David Spichiger (SCS), Anne Klipfel (MCH)
04.09.2024

IUPAC Calls for Nominations for Three Awards

2025 IUPAC Awards in Analytical Chemistry – Call for Nominations
The Analytical Chemistry Division of IUPAC is inviting nominations for two awards, including:
– The IUPAC Emerging Innovator Award in Analytical Chemistry – an award to recognize outstanding work undertaken by an emerging analytical scientist that corresponds to the aims of the Analytical Chemistry Division.
– The IUPAC Analytical Chemistry Medal – an award to recognize significant lifetime contribution to the aims of the Analytical Chemistry Division.
The awards are open worldwide to researchers working in the field of analytical chemistry. Application deadline an 31 December 2024. [FULL RELEASE]

Distinguished Women in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering Award – Call for Nominations
IUPAC is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2025 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Awards. Awardees will be selected based on excellence in basic or applied research, distinguished accomplishments in teaching or education, or demonstrated leadership or managerial excellence in the chemical sciences. The Awards Committee is particularly interested in nominees with a history of leadership and/or community service during their careers.
The award ceremony will take place during the 2025 IUPAC Congress in July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Nominations should be received by 1 November 2024.  [FULL RELEASE]

IUPAC-Zhejiang NHU International Award for Advancements in Green Chemistry – Call for Nominations
IUPAC-Zhejiang NHU International Award has been established to emphasize the importance of advancements in Green Chemistry and the value of sciences to human progress, and to encourage young and experienced chemists. The award covers all the topics of Green Chemistry, such as Green and Renewable Feedstocks, Green Synthetic Routes, Green Solvents, Green Catalysis, Green products, Green Energy, and as broadly defined by OECD as Sustainable Chemistry.

The IUPAC-Zhejiang NHU International Award includes three prizes to be awarded to three early career chemists and one prize will be awarded to an experienced chemist. The awards will be presented at the 2025 IUPAC World Chemistry Congress. Applications deadline 31 October 2024. [FULL RELEASE]

David Spichiger, SCS
23.08.2024

Updated EuChemS Table of Chemical Elements

As a contribution to the celebrations of the International Year of the Periodic Table in 2019, EuChemS introduced a new version of the Periodic Table highlighting availability (area occupied by each element) and lifetime (colour). Also highlighted were the elements in smart phones and elements that can come from areas where wars are fought over the mines or the proceeds from the mines are used to fund wars – so-called conflict minerals.

In 2024, we have released an updated version of the table v2.0 (2023), which still highlights these important concepts, but also emphasizes issues concerning sustainability.

These changes follow up on the EuChemS scientific workshops on carbon (2021), lithium (2021) nitrogen (2022) and phosphorus (2023). A new color (deep red) has been introduced for nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon. This color highlights the overturning of the biogeochemical cycles of these elements, which is severely affecting the biosphere. The massive release of CO₂ into the atmosphere as a result of fossil fuel burning – as well as of nitrogen and phosphorus into the soil and water bodies – has already largely overtaken the so-called planetary boundaries. The red color, previously inserted for carbon, has been removed because the global pledge of transitioning away from fossil fuels within 2050, signed at the COP 28 in Dubai, certifies that, timewise, the problem with fossil fuels is no longer their availability.
For the sake of clarity, the legend now contains two groups of colors, related to availability and sustainability. Moreover, the icon depicted in elements making up smartphones has been made more evident.

You can find additional information here.

Kind regards,
EuChemS Secretariat
European Chemical Society (EuChemS)

David Spichiger, SCS
19.08.2024