What’s Happening on Day 1 of Pittcon?

Welcome to Boston – and Pittcon 2025! 

Over the next few days, The Analytical Scientist is here to help you navigate your way through the many excellent presentations and symposia the conference has to offer by sharing our top choices. 

We’ll also be in attendance ourselves. So please feel free to pay us a visit at booth #650 and grab a copy of our latest issue, when you get the chance.

With all that said, here’s our picks for day one – we hope you enjoy the show! 

Today’s Must See

9:30 am–12:00 pm (Room 104B): Next-Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy: The Path Ahead (Justyna Grabska and Christian Huck)

Justyna Grabska and Christian Huck chair a series of presentations highlighting the dynamism of modern vibrational spectroscopy, showcasing recent innovations in instrumentation, data analysis, and applications. Among the presenters is Power Lister Jurgen Popp, who spoke to us recently about the potential applications of Raman spectroscopy in clinical settings:

“The integration of Raman spectroscopy into point-of-care approaches encompasses the entire diagnostic process – from sample collection to the provision of final diagnostic results. In my opinion, our work on Raman spectroscopy for infectious diagnosis is a perfect example of how analytical spectroscopy provides solutions for clinical diagnostic applications for timely personalized therapy.”

2:30–4:40 pm (Room 107A): Redefining Disease Monitoring: A Pathogen-Agnostic Paradigm Shift Through Multi-Omics, Mass Spectrometry Innovations, and Advanced Bioinformatic Analysis (John Barr and Yu Zhou)

In the afternoon, it’s difficult to look past these presentations on how trends in biodefense are shifting towards single-cell omics, coupled with innovations in bioinformatics and mass spectrometry. Evan Williams, for example, will showcase how charge detection mass spectrometry (CD-MS) is being used for analysis on large particles and viruses, potentially opening the door to “a whole new ballpark of mass spectrometry.”

5:00–6:00 pm (Ballroom East): Wallace H. Coulter Lecture: Regenerative Engineering: New Frontiers in Regeneration (Cato Laurencin)

To end the first day’s activities is Cato Laurencin – this year's Coulter Lecturer. UConn’s Laurencin is regarded by many as the founder of regenerative engineering – a field that combines elements from both regenerative medicine and tissue engineering to develop “transformative technologies for humanity.”

Tomorrow’s Planner

10:40–11:10 am (Room 104A): Recent Developments in Hyphenated Supercritical Fluid Systems Including Extraction and Chromatography (Caroline West) 

11:00–11:20 am (Room 206A, Level 2): Simultaneous Targeted and Non-targeted PFAS Screening as Part of the Extractables Analysis of Pharmaceutical Container Closure, Manufacturing Components and Medical Device Materials by LC-HRMS (Dujuan Lu)

2:30–5:00 pm (Room 109B): Mid-infrared Photothermal (MIP) Microscopy: A New Frontier of Chemical Imaging (Ji-Xin Cheng and Caitlin Davis) 

3:40–4:10 pm (Room 210C, Level 2): SIRIUS: Identifying Unknown Small Molecules from Tandem Mass Spectra Without Reference Libraries

Thought of the Day

“Besides the outreach initiatives, Pittcon appeals to me in so many other ways. It allows me to travel to cities and meet people I would not normally get to meet. I have met international scientists and Nobel Prize-winning chemists, and have networked with many people in the chemistry field. The week of Pittcon is like being in your own world. You are immersed in science and technology for an entire week. You get to experience jobs and tasks you would never get to do in your ‘real life’ job. It is one week of the year where you are working but having fun with people who share your passion and commitment to the conference and to science education.” – Penny Gardner

Aprés-Sci

If you’re looking for a way to unwind after a jam-packed day, consider Boston’s oldest jazz club, Wally’s Cafe. The family-run venue has been playing host to iconic jazz performances since 1947, and offers live music every single day of the year – free of charge. Camille Dodero describes the club as “a welcoming environment, a neighborhood bar that, despite its legacy, lacks all pretension. The kind of playfield-leveling space where conversation comes easily, social and economic hierarchies dissolve, and nobody’s allowed to act a fool.”

Whether you’re looking for a cozy, relaxing spot to unwind, or you’re a full-blown jazzophile, Wally’s is a must for anyone looking to experience the rhythm of Boston. Music starts at 9pm, so just make sure you leave enough time to snag a good spot!