| Summary: |
Research in separation science is a thriving field with dedicated journals and conferences. This research area is dominated by the so-called "big scientific instruments", which allowed multiple breakthroughs in health, forensics, pollution or agri/food. HOwever, the high cost of such instrument and the need for skilled professionals to operate them are limiting their use to a few social and ecnonomic spheres of society. Modern separation techniques are no longer limited to large instrumentation, with numerous studies demonstrating the possibility of achieving fast and efficient analysis using low-cost devices. Such tools would be highly beneficial to SMEs and small organisations that do not have the financial and human resources to afford big and expensive instruments. It is therefore of economic and societal interet to facilitate and promote a wider use of such analyticals platforms. Having low budget organizations in min, such instruments should be affordable and simple to use, allowing their utilisation by inexpert staff. Ideally, they should also be portable allowing their use on site/in the field and be easilu carried around.
The portASAP aims to work toward this goal by involving scientists working in separation sciences, engineers, chemometricians and other scientific fields, with end-users without expertise in analytical chemistry and intrument manufacturers. PortASAP will provide a platform where analytical needs in applied areas can be matched with expertise. It will also provide formation and promote awareness regarding the potential of low-cost analytical techniques. |