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Welcome to the January issue of EVISA's Speciation Newsletter !
According to the IUPAC Definition for speciation analysis, isotope ratio analysis is part of it. Anyhow, isotope ratio measurements have found new applications beyond Geochemistry, widening the scope and the group of researchers involved. Multi-collector ICP-MS has dislodged Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) in many of these applications. Currently, the researchers had the choice between only two instruments, one of which the Thermo Neptune is on the market since more than 20 years. Thermo now has launched a new system incorporating new software and hardware technology (see the news below).
As has been mentioned in our December Newsletter, Mercury is a toxic heavy metal being in the focus of EVISA's Speciation Newsletter nearly permanently. Its bioavailability, bioaccumulation and toxicity is heavily depending on the species being present. The main exposure route for humans is the consumption of fish. A Chinese group of researchers now investigated the mercury-binding proteins in tuna and salmon. More than half of the mercury from fish muscle was found in the soluble protein fraction. Beta-actin was identified to bind more than 30% of the total Hg in tuna muscle (see the news below).
Seafood is also the main source for arsenic exposure. Again, the toxicity of arsenic depends on its speciation, spanning a range from non-toxic (Arsenobetaine) to carcinogenic (inorganic arsenic). For a meaningful risk assessment, the arsenic content of seafood therefore calls for speciation analysis. A Chinese group of researchers now have developed an analytical method for
arsenic species that can be used for various seafoods such as seaweed,
fish, shellfish and shrimp (see the news below).
Normally, researchers working in the field of speciation analysis would meet during this month at the "European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry (EWCPS) ". However, as most conference in these difficult times the EWCPS has been postponed (see the Agenda of Events).
While the availability of the first vaccines gives some hope to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the vaccination of the human population is a formidable task that certainly will take longer than only a few months. We will therefore probably exchange our research results only in virtual meetings during the first half of this year. We will keep you informed about the organization of relevant events.
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NEWS
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EVISA is keeping you updated with what is going on in speciation analysis. In this section you will find news about the most current research results, about trends, legal issues and information from manufacturers in the field of speciation analysis.
With all the links to further information and publications the News archive is a valuable collection of "hot topics" in speciation analysis. We continuously update even former news with new links and information so that all news are actual all the time.
A universal method for the speciation analysis of arsenic in various seafoods
A Chinese group of researchers have developed an analytical method for arsenic species that can be used for various seafoods such as seaweed, fish, shellfish and shrimp. Using microwave-assisted extraction, the extraction efficiency was better than 95% for all sample types without altering their original speciation.
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Mercury-binding proteins in tuna and salmon
A Chinese group of researchers investigated the mercury-binding proteins in tuna and salmon. More than half of the mercury from fish muscle was found in the soluble protein fraction. Beta-actin was identified to bind more than 30% of the total Hg in tuna muscle.
more
New isotope ratio mass spectrometry system delivers high-precision analysis for a range of applications
A new inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument has been designed to enable scientists working in earth sciences, nuclear safeguards, and biomedical research to conduct reliable, high-precision isotope ratio analysis across a wide range of applications without compromising sensitivity, stability, or ease-of-use
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VACANCIES
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EVISA provides information about open positions for Ph.D. students, PostDocs and permanent staff in the field of speciation. Looking to fill a vacancy or needing a new career challenge? Either way this service is FREE. Many laboratories and research facilities (from Greenland to Crete) have already found their highly educated stuff through this service by EVISA. If you would like to post an open position here, please contact us at info@speciation.net !
Doctorates
15 PhD research positions in ice core-related climate science available within MSCA-ITN DEEPICE project
The DEEPICE project (Research and training network on understanding Deep icE corE Proxies to Infer past antarctiC climatE dynamics), funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions - Innovative Training Network) calls for applications for 15 fully funded PhD positions (early-stage researcher, ESR) to be filled by October 2021, with attractive complementary training activities and associated research and travel budgets.
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University of Bern: Environmental Biogeochemistry/Soil Science to study the release and fate of antimony in soils upon flooding.
The Soil Science Group, Institute of Geography, University of Bern is looking for a motivated candidate who is interested in being part of our new project titled “Release, biomethylation and biovolatilization of antimony in soils. Drivers, mechanisms and global environmental implications.” This project is financed through an SNSF Project funding awarded to Prof. Dr. Adrien Mestrot and will take place at the Institute of Geography. It will take full advantage of the state-of-the-art analytical facilities present at our Institute (e.g. clean room, HPLC-ICP-MS, HPLC-ESI-MS, incubation facilities).
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Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria: TecEUS – Technology-critical Elements in Urban Spheres
Montanuniversität Leoben is offering a PhD position with the topic: Technology-critical elements in urban spheres’ in the field of analytical chemistry with a strong focus on mass spectrometry in a young
team within a highly transdisciplinary FWF-funded project.
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Europe: Mercury Biogeochemistry
The EU H2020 programme is financing a Marie-Curie training network on 'mercury biogeochemistry' over the next four years (2020-2023). A total of 15 PhD positions are open throughout Europe on a variety of topics, some including ICPMS or mass spectrometry.
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Postdoctoral
National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana: Laser ablation- ICP-MS
A Postdoctoral Position is open in the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia.
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Other
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DIRECTORY
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EVISA's directory of scientist is a versatile tool to facilitate contact with scientists in the field of speciation and related sciences. The directory is fully searchable for names, addresses, research topics etc. You should bookmark this directory as an always up-to-date address book. (In order to hinder SPAM robots for collecting the E-mail accounts, we hide them in a special format).
More than 290 active scientists in the field of speciation analysis already joined the directory. Join this great directory that is extensively linked to all type of other information on this site, such as homepages, conferences and literature.
If your entry is still missing in this directory, please contact us at info@speciation.net.
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LINKS
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EVISA provides an easy access to external information. Our database contains more than 2800 links to relevant information from numerous top scientific resources spread over the whole Web. The database is searchable both via full-text and categories such as elements, type of species and type of information. We are permanently updating our links section.
If your web site is missing here, please e-mail your link information to info@speciation.net.
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This issue of evisa's Speciation Newsletter has been sent to you by EVISA, because you have registered for this service. If you would like to modify your user account, please log-in on EVISA's web portal at http://www.speciation.net with your username and password and edit your user account.
Please feel free to pass this Speciation Newsletter to others who may benefit from EVISA. If you have any contributions or suggestions, please send these to editors@speciation.net.
This is a post-only e-mail. Please do not reply to this message. For all inquiries, problems or suggestions regarding this service, please visit http://www.speciation.net or contact info@speciation.net
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Copyright 2020 EVISA
All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or transfer of this message or its contents, in any medium, is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of EVISA.
Disclaimer
No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. The Newsletter represents only the opinion of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Community. The European Community is not responsible for any use that might be made of the information provided.
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