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The overall aim of the Chemical & Biological Metrology Programme is to improve the accuracy and reliability of chemical and biomeasurements that are important to the UK’s industrial competitiveness and quality of life. The programme achieves this aim through the application of leading-edge science and the development of improved measurement technology to underpin some of the most challenging and important measurements made in the UK.
The programme has seven technical themes:
Bioanalysis
This theme aims to underpin the development and exploitation of biotechnology by providing a sound international basis for accurate and reliable measurements. There are five sub-themes:
Gas Analysis
Measurements of gases are fundamental to the control of emissions, the quality of ambient and indoor air, and to many aspects of industrial process control. These measurements are applicable across a wide range of industrial sectors including power generation, chemicals / petrochemicals, oil and other fuels, aerospace, vehicles, electronics, water, waste incineration and landfill, public health, analytical instrumentation (including sensors), metal and non-metal processing, and pharmaceuticals.
Inorganic and Speciation Analysis
Advances in mass spectrometry techniques have made it possible to detect counterfeit goods and trace the origin of samples by using subtle differences in their isotopic composition. A key focus of the work is to assess approaches for identifying counterfeit and authentic pharmaceuticals.
The main focus of the projects on speciation is the development of reference methodology for selenium speciation analysis. Accurate measurements are crucial to understanding the mechanisms by which food supplements benefit human health.
Organic Analysis
The portfolio of projects for the organic theme is focused mainly on mass spectrometry, which remains the dominant technique for the high accuracy determination of trace organics. Projects aim at direct applications in the key areas of healthcare, security and sustainability. In addition there are projects which underpin metrology in new important technologies, such as MALDI (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption / Ionization) imaging and further fundamental work on the difficult, but important task to provide robust protocols for producing a universal LC-MS/MS (Liquid Chromatography tandem Mass Spectrometry) library.
Particle and Trace Chemical Analysis
The particulate and trace chemical analysis theme is centred on the measurement issues relating to airborne particles, and includes the related areas of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), pH and ionic content.
Reference Materials
Reference materials provide one of the cornerstones in making valid measurements and, as such, they have a wide range of applications in the laboratory. These include method validation, instrument calibration, uncertainty estimation, internal quality control and verification of instrument, laboratory and analyst performance.
The projects in this theme are designed to sustain and develop the capability needed to produce high quality Certified Reference Materials, and to maintain the supply of materials.
Surface and Nano Analysis
The successful, modern knowledge-based economy is based on growing innovation for the development of high added value products that have a strong competitive edge in the global market place. Central to the correct operation and novel properties of many of these products is their surface chemistry. Surface chemical analytical techniques are the key to understanding and characterising these surfaces from the microscale to the nanoscale. The techniques employed in this theme provide key quantitative information on atoms and molecules at surfaces.
