Chapin Rodriguez, European affairs manager at the American Chemical Society, will speak on “Instrumentation Challenges for Developing Countries" at the Pittcon Conference & Expo 2007 for laboratory science, to be held Feb. 25-March 2 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Rodriquez's presentation, scheduled for Feb. 26, will be one of several new sessions that will offer networking opportunities, said Pittcon's sponsor, the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy. “Networking has always been an important aspect for conferees at Pittcon, said committee chairman Jack Graham. "We believe this new opportunity will add tremendous value to the conferee’s total Pittcon experience. Our vision for the future of these sessions is to expand the topics to increase the number of sessions and provide more diversity of topics.” The suggestions for topics were submitted by conferees in late fall, and the Pittcon Committee selected eight of as a pilot for this year’s program. Topics will also include: HPLC/MS User Forum, facilitator Arindam Roy, Tyco Healthcare Mallinckrodt Gas Sensors and Analytical Gas Delivery Systems, facilitators Frank Kandl, Specialty Gas Equipment, Airgas; and Robert Pellissier, RKI president New Faculty Initiating Competitive Research Programs, facilitators: Christy Haynes, University of Minnesota; and Paul Bohn, University of Notre Dame Putting Performance-Based Methods to Work, facilitator: Wayne Whipple, US EPA R5 CRL Electronic Nose and New Technologies of e-Nose to Improve Odor/Flavor Analysis for Formulation Development and Routine Quality Control, facilitator Jean-Christophe Mifsud, CEO of Alpha MOS Working with ICP and Its Hyphenated Techniques for Metal Speciation and Environmental Analysis, facilitator Larry Irr, Bechtel-Bettis Use of LC/MS and new LC Technologies to Improve Efficiency in Pharmaceutical Development, facilitators Todd Gillespie and Bryan Castle, Eli Lilly & Co. The Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy is a Pennsylvania nonprofit educational corporation organized by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, which has produced Pittcon since 1950. Pittcon attracts 20,000 to 30,000 attendees from industry, academia and government from 80 countries, more than 1200 exhibiting companies and features more than 2000 technical papers and presentations. Profits are used to promote science and science education; conference proceeds fund programs of the SSP, SACP and the Pittsburgh Conference in the Pittsburgh area, the host city and throughout the US. For more information, visit: www.pittcon.org