Congress Abstracts

The last number of Journal of Automatic Chemistry marked the first edition produced by our new publisher, likewise this second issue also marks a new departure. Part ofthis issue is devoted to the publication ofabstracts for the International Congress on Automation in the Clinical Laboratory. This meeting is being held in Barcelona from 19 to 22 April 1982, and the abstracts are devoted to various aspects of automation as applied to the clinical laboratory. However, the problems of applying computers to instrumentation, or to the general work-flow in any laboratory, present similar problems to the user and to the systems designer and there is considerable merit in sharing experiences. Further details on the papers abstracted can be obtained directly frgm their autho, although hope that several of them will submit the full text of their papers for publication in the Journal. Every participant at the congress will be presented with a copy of the Journal with their registration documents. If it is the first time that they have seen the Journal, we welcome them as readers and hope that within these pages they will find much of value to their work. also hope that they have a valuable and enjoyable congress and gain much of value from their participation. On a personal note, have just returned from a brief visit to the 33rd Annual Pittsburgh Conference and the large exhibition will be presented in the next issue. There, during a discussion with two members of my main editorial board-Professor Howard Malmstadt and Dr Rolf Arndt-about inviting Professor G. Horlick to the editorial team, a very interesting suggestion was raised. It was proposed that the formation of a society of laboratory automation would be an attractive concept and that it should be directly linked to .the Journal. This should encourage a broader subscription base for the Journal and promote conferences on laboratory automation where clinical chemists and industrial chemists, along with those in academic life, can discuss the many problems involved in introducing computerization and automation into various work environments. The proposal certainly has considerable appeal and would welcome reactions from our readers. A worldwide conference on laboratory automation, along the lines of the congress in Barcelona, would be a valuable forum for discussing the problems and advantages of automation. Corporation was formed in March 81 to develop, manufacture and market instrumentation for automated laboratory-scale processes used in chemistry and biochemistry. …