What’s Happening on Day Two of Pittcon?

Welcome back to Pittcon 2025! 

Whether you spent Day One deep in scientific discussions or networking with fellow attendees, we hope you’re ready for another exciting day!

Below, as is tradition, we share our top picks for Day Two – alongside some discussion-starting quotes and a little “Aprés-Sci.”

Today’s Must See

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

Caroline West explores the fundamentals and applications of supercritical fluid chromatography, highlighting its potential for greener and more efficient analytical separations. Caroline spoke to us about the progress (or lack thereof) of this back in 2023. “SFC users often talk about the greenness of the technique without bothering to compare the features of their method to other existing ones… It’s not all the chromatographer’s fault though – current instruments still make it difficult to use columns with smaller internal diameter, which would favor the use of lower flow rates.” Where are we in 2025? Show up to find out! 

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)

PFAS is an ever-present topic of discussion at Pittcon this year – and for good reason. As Diana Aga explained in PFAS Remediation: Do We Have the Solutions to the Forever Problem? “To truly address the PFAS problem, everyone needs to work together, including regulatory authorities. We are still quite far from a complete solution. The more we regulate PFAS, the less they will enter the environment. However, the PFAS that are already in the environment will persist – they’re called ‘forever chemicals’ for a reason.” 

Diana is giving her own presentation on PFAS (Analysis of the relative abundances of perfluoroctane sulfonate isomers in biological samples) on the final day of the event at 10:00 am, I’d be sure to check that one out too. 

2:30–5:00 pm (Room 108): Environmental Applications of Mass Spectrometry (Nathan Hoppens, Ralf Zimmermann, David Alonso, Yongdong Wang, Luek Ackerman, Sven Ehlert, Lee Marotta)

This afternoon features a series of presentations on the areas in which mass spectrometry is contributing to new discoveries in aerosol, particulate and atmospheric research. This topic is one explored more broadly in our latest print issue; for example, we spoke to Michael Gonsior to find out how analytical innovations are helping to protect our planet. 

“Some researchers are pairing triple quadrupole instruments with time-of-flight mass spectrometers to get high resolution and high sensitivity together. These hybrid systems aren’t widely commercialized yet, but I think they’ll be game-changers, especially for complex environmental samples where precise molecular structures are essential for understanding the system.”

Tomorrow’s Planner

9:50–10:10 am (Room 205B, Level 2): Light it up! Photoluminescent Lead Detection for Forensic Investigations (Kendra Adelberg)

1:30–4:40 pm (Room 104A): Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award (Dan Armstrong, Willie Hinze, Jared Anderson, Kevin Shug & Zachary Breitbach)

3:10–3:30 pm (Room 207): Recent advances in the chromatographic analysis of adeno-associated virus vectors (Jukka Kervinen) 

3:40–4:10 pm (Room 104B): Tools for Analyzing, Controlling and Simulating Biological Systems (Edward Boyden)

Thought of the Day

“What gives me hope is that we’re slowly – painfully slowly – starting to realize we’re part of the environment, not separate from it. We’re moving, though gradually, towards understanding our interconnectedness with nature. People are traveling more, and while you could argue that’s counterproductive for the environment, it does broaden our perspectives. It lets us experience different environments, ecosystems, and communities firsthand, and that shifts mindsets in powerful ways. The fact that we have access to information more rapidly than ever is helping, too. Despite its challenges, the flow of knowledge allows us to see more of the world and our impact on it.” – Michael Gonsior 

Aprés-Sci

Tucked away in the Fenway neighborhood, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a true hidden gem. Unlike traditional museums, everything inside is arranged exactly as its founder intended – giving it a deeply personal, almost storybook-like feel. One visitor poetically describes it as "a magnificent and unique experience, one that is simultaneously lived in and new every time."

Whether you’re drawn to the historic paintings, mesmerizing courtyard, or the legendary art heist, it’s a great spot to soak in some art, history, and a bit of mystery.