Interview with Prof. Jeremy D. Glennon, UCC Conference Ambassador

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UCC Conference Ambassador: Prof. Jeremy D. Glennon, Professor of Analytical Chemistry at University College Cork (UCC)

Sponsors and Partners: Irish Separation Science Cluster (ISSC) in conjunction with the ISC International Scientific Committee and association with the European Separation Science Society (EuSSS), the Chromatographic Society (UK) and the Institute of Chemistry in Ireland (ICI). Conference sponsorship from Failte Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and the Cork Conference Bureau is gratefully acknowledged. Key Industrial sponsors included Shimadzu, Agilent Technologies, Waters, Merck, Metrohm, ThemoFisher, Linde, YMC, Pepsico, & Eli-Lily.

Brief Biography:  PhD, 1979, UCD, Ireland and PDF at the Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. Founding member of the Analytical and Biological Research Facility (ABCRF) at UCC and a director of the SFI funded Irish Separation Science Cluster (ISSC). Research interests: selective separation and sensing approaches for bio-molecules and metal complexes in biological systems.

Conference Name: 31st International Symposium on Chromatography 2016 | Conference Venue: University College Cork

Number of Delegates: 568 | Past Destination: 2014 – Salzburg | Future Destination: 2018 – Cannes-Mandelieu

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What were the conference main objectives? 

Under the theme of Innovation and Impact of Chromatographic Separations on Science, Industry and Life, the major focus of the 31st Symposium was on the impact and continuing contribution of chromatography and separation science to meet the needs of the (bio)-pharmaceutical industry, food, health, science and medicine. Advances in the understanding of chromatographic and separation processes, made in parallel with the design of new materials and advanced detection methods, are propelling the science to new levels in speed of analysis and performance. These developments sustain the science of chromatography as it continues to meet the ever increasing demand for rapid methods in medicine, pharmaceuticals, food, environment and security. For Biologics and Bioprocessing, new methods in continuous bioprocessing, continuous chromatography and process analytical technologies (PAT) were showcased. In addition to the scientific programme of lectures, tutorials, short courses and posters, delegates attended a world class exhibition and vendor lectures series on instrumentation and services for chromatography, separation science and mass spectrometry.

Did you have a goal/aim in bidding for and hosting this conference? 

A number of goals were set and achieved. The International Symposium on Chromatography (ISC) series was first launched in 1956 in London and in bringing this major international event to Cork and southern Ireland for the first time, we were able to showcase the quality and depth of research, innovation and scholarly activity in separation science taking place in Ireland throughout academia, institute/centres and the many major international pharmaceutical and chromatography companies located here. In addition, world leading chromatographers and companies presented the latest advances in research to close to 600 delegates, through invited international and national plenary, keynote and oral presentations, alongside poster, industrial exhibition and seminars. Importantly, ISC2016 provided a forum for students and early career researchers to present their work and learn from the cutting edge of this field through direct oral and poster presentations.

This SFI and Meet in Ireland supported event thus provided unprecedented access to international expertise in the fields of Chromatography and Separation Science, techniques and processes critically important in pharmaceutical, food, health, science and bio-medical industries.

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Using Inchydoney beach as a key website image and our UCC campus and City Hall, we were able to highlight this beautiful city and county of Cork, with its rich history and traditional music and dance to one of the largest scientific gatherings in Europe in 2016, bringing together scientists from across the globe including, Europe, Australia, Thailand, China, and the USA as invited speakers and delegates. This conference was estimated to add over €900,000 to the Irish and local Cork economy.

What was the highlight of the conference?

There were so many highlights, made possible by endless support and advice from UCC staff in catering, security and B&E, starting on a glorious August Sunday evening with the lone piper in the Quad, the talented Sean O’Riordan, the sparkling opening ceremony in Devere Hall, with performance by members of the appropriately named Affiniti, the excellence of presenters, exemplified by our opening plenary lecturers (including UCC’s Prof. John Cryan) and the Shimadzu sponsored Welcome Reception in Devere Hall. Further highlights included the speakers dinner in Hayfield Manor, the live performance by Pulses of Tradition at the Civic Reception in Cork’s historic City Hall, the world class poster session and instrumentation exhibition in the Main, and the Gala dinner and party in the Big farm Shed at Ireland’s world famous culinary haven Ballymaloe House, with live band Newfoundland. The very successful International Symposium on Chromatography (ISC2016), with over 560 delegates, 117 oral and 330 poster presentations, concluded with the final of the poster competition and award ceremony in Devere Hall on Thursday Sept 1st. Congratulations to all involved and especially to award winners including Alyah Buzid in Analytical Chemistry at UCC. Having opened with registration in the historic Aula Maxima, the conference concluded there with a superbly catered Farewell Gathering.

But an abiding highlight was the warmth and friendliness of our delegate guests, who created the perfect blend of science and social, making it a pleasure and honour to host ISC2016 at UCC.

What in your opinion was the reason UCC, Cork was successful in winning the conference?

The conference bid was won by the SFI-funded Irish Separation Science cluster (ISSC) and the co-chairs, through their international network and industrial collaborations. There is globally a growing awareness of the academic and industrial strengths that exists in Ireland in this field of separation science and materials from publications and innovative products being produced here. Alongside this, chromatography is a rapidly expanding business with important applications across a range of fields, such as forensic testing, drug testing, quality control, food and beverage safety to cancer detection and clinical analysis. The field is thus critically important to Irish biopharma, food and beverage industries, chemicals and to state laboratories. With chromatography also central to the (bio)-pharmaceutical industry and 9 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies located in the region, hosting it in Cork facilitated the showcasing the current size/scale, and future potential for expansion of the (bio)pharma industry, over the existing 17,000 directly employed in the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland.

If you could have changed one thing, or done one thing differently for ISC2016 what would it be?

For the size of the conference, very little differently, except holding it earlier in August to avoid university orientation days.