Users' Group for Mass Spectrometry and Chromatography (MaSC)

We hereby announce the foundation of the Users' Group for Mass
Spectrometry and Chromatography (MaSC). The group was established at
the workshop on 'Binding Media Identification in Art Objects'
organised by the "Ormylia" Art Diagnosis Centre on behalf of the
European Union 'LabSTECH' programme, the Netherlands Institute for
Cultural Heritage (ICN) and the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI),
with the Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF). In this
workshop, which was attended by 36 researchers from 21 institutions
in 10 countries, it became clear that there is a great desire for
more interaction and discussion among conservation scientists.

The aim of MaSC is to create a discussion forum for conservation
scientists who wish to exchange information regarding

    1.  sample taking strategies and protocols,
    2.  preparation of samples,
    3.  chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis,
    4.  data treatment and interpretation of results.

The first task of the group will be to investigate possibilities for
the creation of a database, which will contain mass spectra relevant
to conservation scientists.

The organising committee of the users' group consists of the two
coordinators, Klaas Jan van den Berg (ICN, the Netherlands) and
Christopher Maines (NGA, USA), and the members Ester Ferreira
(FOM-AMOLF, the Netherlands), Catherine Higgitt (NGL, UK), Ken
Sutherland (PMA, USA) and Andreas Tsakalof (OADC, Greece).

The new users' group will operate under the umbrella of the ICOM-CC
Scientific Research Working Group, and aims to organise a meeting
once every one or two years. Whenever possible, these meetings will
be arranged to coincide with interim and triennial meetings of
ICOM-CC or similar organisations.

If you are interested in joining the Users' Group for Mass
Spectrometry and Chromatography (MaSC), please send an email to
Catherine Higgitt (catherine.higgitt [at] ng-london__org__uk) who will send
you a membership form. The membership of MaSC is free.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:61
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 16, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-16-61-001
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