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2024 Annual Meeting of the International Seed Testing Association Set to Commemorate Centennial Milestone in Cambridge, UK
Wallisellen, Switzerland – April 05, 2024 – The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) is thrilled to announce that the highly anticipated 2024 Annual Meeting will be held in the historic city of Cambridge, UK, from July 1st to July 4th, at the Cambridge Union Society in Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This year’s gathering holds special significance as it coincides with the remarkable centennial anniversary of ISTA, marking a century of progress in seed quality assurance.
ISTA, a globally renowned association dedicated to promoting uniformity in seed testing procedures and standards, has been at the forefront of fostering innovation and ensuring the quality and reliability of seeds worldwide since its inception in 1924. As it celebrates its hundredth year of advancing the science and practice of seed testing, the 2024 Annual Meeting promises to be an event of unparalleled significance and impact.
Set against the backdrop of the illustrious University of Cambridge, this year’s meeting will bring together leading experts, researchers, industry professionals, and stakeholders from around the world. Attendees can expect a comprehensive program featuring insightful presentations, engaging meetings, and interactive discussions on the latest advancements, trends, and challenges in seed testing, quality assurance, and seed technology.
In addition to the academic and professional sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to explore the picturesque city of Cambridge, renowned for its historic architecture, cultural heritage, and world-class research institutions. The meeting venue, nestled amidst the stunning landscapes and iconic landmarks of Cambridge, will provide an inspiring setting for networking and fostering collaborations among participants.
Registration for the 2024 Annual Meeting of ISTA is open, with early bird discounts available for a limited time, until 30 April 2024.
For more information about the program, registration, venues and accommodations, please visit the official conference website at ISTA2024.
Join us in Cambridge from July 1st to June 4th, 2024, as we commemorate a hundred years of excellence in seed testing and embark on a new era of innovation and collaboration in ensuring global food security and sustainability.
To register click Here
IAF and ILAC have released a new episode of their podcast, Accreditation Matters, which features discussions with international experts on matters of importance to the international quality infrastructure community. Accreditation Matters highlights the way that accreditation supports industry, regulators, global trade, consumers, and the drive towards sustainability.
‘The Importance of Accreditation for the Private Sector’ is the second episode in IAF and ILAC’s new sub-series on the role of accreditation in the food industry. Listen to it on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube.
In this episode, IAF WG Food Co-Convener Colin Christmas (EAGLE Certification Group, IQNET representative) leads a discussion with LeAnn Chuboff (Vice President of Technical Affairs, SQF), Chryssa Dimitriadis (Director of IFS Standard Management, IFS), Aldin Hilbrands (CEO, Foundation FSSC), Quincy Lissaur (Executive Director, SSAFE), Amanda McCarthy (Business Director, BRCGS), and Mark Overland (industry representative, formerly at Cargill). The guests highlight main conformity assessment schemes and standards, and discuss the key role of accreditation in the production of safe food and assuring consumers that products meet dietary and sustainability claims.
The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) is a worldwide organisation for clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. It has a range of roles that include: global standard setting in collaboration with other international organisations; supporting its members through scientific and educational endeavour; and providing a series of congresses, conferences and focussed meetings, in order for laboratory medicine specialists ot meet and present original findings and best practice.
We are pleased to announce a joint IFCC – ILAC webinar “Quality System in Labs and Accreditation – Challenges of the new ISO 15189:2022”. The aim of the webinar is to share knowledge on the importance of accreditation in the medical field.
The webinar will show how the harmonized implementation of management systems according to ISO 15189 in medical laboratories, improves the validity of clinical results essential for patient care. It will also describe the ILAC role in this process.
The Webinar will take place on Tuesday 19 March 2024 from 13:00 to 14:30 (UTC+01:00). A link and login details will be posted on this website as soon as they are available.
EUROLAB (the European Federation of National Associations of Measurement, Testing and Analytical Laboratories) is glad to share upcoming international initiatives that you are welcome to join:
EUROLAB webinar on sustainability in the laboratory “Build a sustainability culture in your lab”
The upcoming EUROLAB webinar “Build a sustainability culture in your lab. Learn about the latest policy developments and innovative best practices from key experts in the field” will take place online on 29 November 2023 in the afternoon and 30 November 2023 in the morning.
It aims to raise awareness on the framework of EU legislations regulating sustainability aspects in the laboratory field and standardisation activities on the matter, as well as to identify the key practices and challenges from the various invited stakeholders.
The first part of this webinar will focus on a selection of the current EU legislations and policies under development or recently adopted in the framework of the European Green Deal. It will also include standardisation developments at the international level. In the second part of the webinar, more practical aspects will be touched upon, focusing specifically on the benefits and challenges of implementing more sustainable practices in laboratories. Concrete case studies and examples will be presented by laboratory practitioners showcasing current green strategies available and identify the main obstacles to further advancements.
More information is available on our website, the link to register and the program will be published soon.
If you wish to be added to our mailing list and be informed about the developments regarding this and other webinars and events, please contact us at info@eurolab.org
EUROLAB joins the Labsummit® 2024 as Institutional Sponsor
EUROLAB is one of the institutional sponsors of the Labsummit® 2024, taking place on 16-18 May 2024 in Coimbra (Portugal), jointly organised by RELACRE, ISQ and Ambidata.
The international event aims to bring together professionals from the laboratory industry, scientists and policy makers, managers and administrators, students, and all those interested in discussing the latest trends, technologies, and challenges of the present and future in the field of laboratories.
It focuses on four distinct pillars – Laboratory, Digital, Productivity and Sustainability – which represent the main concerns and challenges faced by laboratory professionals who are constantly seeking valuable solutions and information to improve the efficiency, quality and sustainability of laboratory processes.
Labsummit® will also provide a conducive environment for learning, collaboration and innovation in the field of laboratories, encouraging the exchange of ideas and experiences among participants. The event will feature expert lectures, successful case presentations, panel discussions, exhibitors, workshops and networking opportunities.
Further information is available on the event website: https://www.labsummit.com/
You can also apply to become a speaker or an exhibitor.
Early bird registration opens soon!
IMEKO Joint Conference TC8, TC11, TC24 and EUROLAB National Members’ Meeting 2023
The Joint Conference of IMEKO TC8 Traceability in Metrology, TC11 Measurement in Testing and TC24 Chemical Measurements is taking place in Funchal, on the Island of Madeira in Portugal, from 11 to 13 October 2023.
Following the success of the Joint Conference held in Cavtat-Dubrovnik (Croatia) in 2022, and to strengthen the long tradition of cooperation between IMEKO Technical Committees, RELACRE (the Portuguese Association of Accredited Laboratories) is organising the 2023 Joint Conference, together with IMEKO TC8, TC11 and TC24, LNEC and EUROLAB.
The event will bring together the TIC community, academia and industry, promoting the latest advancements in science and technology in many fields of measurement.
More information on the program is available here.
EUROLAB National Members’ Meeting will take place along with the International IMEKO Conference, kindly hosted by RELACRE. It will be an important occasion for our members and stakeholders not only to discuss the latest key issues for EUROLAB and the world of laboratories, but also to attend the IMEKO Joint Conference TC8, TC11, TC24 and anticipate the celebrations for the World Standards Day on 14 October.
EUROLAB started 2023 with a very successful webinar on “MICROPLASTICS: regulations, standards and the role of laboratories”, on 15-16 February 2023. More than 80 participants joined us to connect, learn and share knowledge and best practices with experts in the field of microplastics, on EU legislations, standardisation activities and other key issues.
Speakers included high-level representatives from the European Chemicals Agency, European Commission DG ENV, Plastics Europe, CENELEC, ISO and the laboratory sector. Many interesting views on the definition and analysis of microplastics, standardisation initiatives and much more were presented by the speakers, with the objective to share knowledge and best practices to solve the global issue of microplastics release.
More information is available on our website, and should you be interested in the webinar contents please contact us at info@eurolab.org
As a summary of our activities for 2022, we also recently published our Annual Report 2022, available here. The Annual Report 2022 includes an overview of EUROLAB’s most notable achievements and landmark events for last year, with details on the current and future activities, international collaborations, projects of interest to laboratories and the latest news from the Technical Committee on Quality Assurance. The document summarises EUROLAB’s involvement in the laboratory community and the cooperation with our members and stakeholders.
At the beginning of March, we also started our collaboration with two interesting projects: PlasticTrace and Metroracle.
PlasticTrace aims to address the urgent need for development and harmonisation of methods for the chemical identification, physical characterisation and quantification of released small micro/nanoplastics (SMPs/NPs) in drinking water, food and environmental matrices, as required by the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP). EUROLAB is part of the PlasticTrace Stakeholder Avisory Board.
Metroracle presents a blockchain-based concept for the digital transformation of the traceability pyramid for electrical energy measurement. It offers an innovative technical solution to requirements imposed by the digital transformation of metrology. EUROLAB and Metrolacre are collaborating on the realisation of a survey on the digitalization level and needs among laboratories.
Furthermore, our General Assembly 2023 & Accompanying Events are fast approaching. This year, the events will take place on 27-28 April 2023 in Warsaw, Poland, at the University of Warsaw Biological and Chemical Research Centre (CNBCh UW), kindly hosted by POLLAB.
It will be an important occasion not only to discuss the latest key issues for EUROLAB and the world of laboratories, but also to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of our local Member in Poland.
Finally, EUROLAB would like to invite you to the following international events that we are supporting and joining with presentations:
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10th WORKSHOP ON PROFICIENCY TESTING IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY,
MICROBIOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
Windsor (UK), 25th – 28th September 2023
The EURACHEM Proficiency Testing Working Group (www.eurachem.org), in co-operation with CITAC (www.citac.cc) and EQALM (www.eqalm.org), is organising the 10th event of a series of Workshops addressing current practice and future directions of proficiency testing (PT) and external quality assessment (EQA) in analytical chemistry, microbiology and laboratory medicine.
Venue
The workshop will take place at the De Vere Beaumont hotel in Windsor, a town on the River Thames in southeast England, just west of London. It is home to Windsor Castle, a residence of the British Royal Family, built by William The Conqueror in the 11th century. The story of De Vere Beaumont Estate in Old Windsor is a very British one; a tale of democracy, royalty, education and religion. At its heart, sits an 18th-century mansion, a chapel, 75 event spaces and a Georgian white house in 40 acres of parkland grounds. The original house was built for Lord Weymouth but it was during its time as a public school, from 1854 – 1967, that saw most of the estate’s architectural developments.
Windsor Castle with Thames in foreground.
Technical Programme
The workshop will include training sessions, keynote lectures, short presentations, working group discussions and poster sessions, to enable interactive participation and cross-fertilisation of ideas. The official language of the workshop will be in English. Invited lectures and accepted presentations/posters will be considered, through peer-review, for publication as full papers as a topical focus in an issue of Accreditation and Quality Assurance (Springer Verlag).
Training Sessions
Four training sessions, open to workshop delegates, on the following topics:
Lectures and Working Group Topics
Who should attend?
The workshop will provide an excellent opportunity for PT/EQA scheme organisers, and end-users of PT/EQA (laboratories, accreditation bodies, regulators and the laboratories’ customers) to come together and share their views.
Registration
Visit the workshop website to register.
Workshop Secretariat
Adele Collins
Phone: +44 161 762 2555
Email: adele.collins@lgcgroup.com
Website: www.eurachem-pt2023.org
Brian Brookman
Chair Eurachem PT Working Group
LGC, Bury, UK
PATHCON & LAB EXPO 2022, an Annual Conference of the Association of Practising Pathologists, was held on the 17th and 18th of December 2022 at Hotel Taj Vivanta in New Delhi, India. Spread over two days, this unique pathology conference was organized in a hybrid mode.
This conference was attended by 623 delegates from all over the country who participated in 12 workshops and presentations by 52 faculty members. The organizing committee conducted all the sessions and workshops on the 17th. Simultaneously young and upcoming pathologists presented 120 oral papers and 132 posters that day, while on the 18th of December, senior pathologists shared their experiences in the form of exciting presentations. The discussion and deliberations covered various pathology topics, including advances in molecular diagnostics, haematology, oncology, and clinical biochemistry. They were valuable and relevant to the association members and delegates, including many postgraduate students.
One highlight of the conference was the keynote address by Dr Neeraj Jain, President of the APP, who spoke about the role of quality in pathology. He emphasized the critical importance of various quality tools for more accurate diagnoses and improving patient outcomes. Another key theme of the conference was the importance of collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches in pathology research and practice. Speakers stressed the need for pathologists to work closely with clinicians, specialists in bio-informatics and other healthcare professionals to ensure that pathology contributes to the delivery of precision medicine. The President announced a new scheme for certification of compliance with standards defined by the association. He also announced the dates of quarterly meetings and the annual Pathcon & Lab Expo 2023.
LAB EXPO 2022, the most sought-after medical laboratory exhibition in this part of India, is an integral part of PATHCON. Almost all industry partners showcase their latest laboratory equipment, devices, and technologies used in the medical field. As a result, attendees can expect to see a range of innovative laboratory tools, such as microscopes, scanners, centrifuges, auto analyzers, and other diagnostic devices. In addition, exhibitors also showcased various software solutions for data management, lab automation, and quality control. Apart from the equipment, the Lab Expo provided an opportunity to attend seminars and workshops presented by industry experts, offering attendees a chance to update their knowledge on recent developments and techniques in the field. Lab Expo also provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas and create an interface between laboratory medicine professionals and the industry.
Overall, this Pathcon and Lab Expo 2022 was a grand success and provided an excellent opportunity for members of the association and delegates to be updated on the latest trends and advancements in medical laboratory technology.
Seed quality, health and identity are of paramount importance for the global economy and the environment and key for global food security. Therefore, the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) is holding this year’s seed symposium under the theme ‘Quality Seed for Sustainable Agriculture’ in Athens, Greece from 02-04 November.
To discuss most aspects of seed quality, the symposium brings together seed analysts, technologists, researchers, and managers from universities, research institutes, the government, and the seed trade. It provides a forum for discussion of the latest advances in seed science and technology, as well as an opportunity to exchange ideas and information
The 5 symposium sessions will each have a notable lead speaker, and are composed of presentations, poster sessions, and discussions – all presenting unique networking opportunities among others.
The detailed programme of the symposium, together with accommodation and venue information is available on the ISTA website and may be accessed from this link.
Registration is still open so please click here to take part of the upcoming ISTA Seed Symposium.
Announcing the International Conference “The Lab of the Future”, organised by ALPI-ASSOTIC in collaboration with EUROLAB on the occasion of the EUROLAB General Assembly 2022 & Accompanying Events.
The Conference will take place on 19 May 2022 from 14:15 to 18:00 at Centro Congressi Cavour – Via Cavour, 50/a Rome (Italy). For those of you who will not be able to attend in person, there will be the possibility to follow the Conference remotely.
The Conference is intended as an opportunity to share some in-depth information on digitization, developments in digital metrology, but also unpostponable needs, such as the sustainability of laboratory activities and IT security. The Conference, therefore, aims to point out that sometimes the future cannot wait, and, in some cases, the future is now.
To attend the Conference, please register here by Friday, 29 April 2022: https://forms.gle/n7hExth8XzjG6Uyk7
Find attached the full program and list of speakers. Regular conference updates will be published on our website and LinkedIn page.
Since the update in the last issue of the newsletter, Eurachem has continued to operate effectively as a virtual network.
In November we published a joint Eurachem/CITAC guide on ‘Assessment of performance and uncertainty in qualitative chemical analysis’. The guide was presented at an online workshop on 19-27 January, co-organised by CITAC, Eurachem and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) Singapore. As well as introducing the guide, the workshop had sessions focussing on laboratory medicine, and chemical and forensic analysis. Feedback was very positive from the over 500 participants who attended from 75 different territories, with over 70% of respondents indicating they expected to implement the new guide in future work. Recordings of the four sessions can be accessed via the Eurachem website (https://www.eurachem.org/index.php/events/completed/394-wks-aqa2022). The picture shows Workshop Scientific Committee member Dr Tang Lin Teo (HSA) collecting results from one of the online surveys used during the workshop.
We continue to actively encourage the translation of Eurachem guidance documents and in the past year a number of translations of guides and leaflets have been published – see the Eurachem News pages at https://www.eurachem.org/index.php/news/newsarts for past announcements. The image shows some of the recent translations of information leaflets.
Although the pandemic situation finally appears to be improving, ongoing uncertainty in the first months of the year meant that the Executive Committee took the decision to (once again) run the General Assembly and associated workshop in May as online events. Hosted by the Georgian Laboratory Association (GeLab), on behalf of Eurachem-Georgia, the workshop on ‘Quality assurance challenges of measurements from field to laboratory with a focus on ISO/IEC17025: 2017 requirements’ will take place on 16-18 May. This will be followed by the General Assembly on 19-20 May. Workshop registration is open at http://gelab.org.ge/en/Event/Eurachem_2022.
Recently, the organisers of the 10th Eurachem Workshop on ‘Proficiency Testing in analytical chemistry, microbiology and laboratory medicine’ took the difficult decision to postpone the event until 2023. It is now scheduled for 25-28 September 2023 in Windsor, UK (see https://eurachem-pt2023.org/ for details).
Eurachem has longstanding collaborations with a number of organisations that share common interests in measurement quality. During the past year, the Executive Committee has been formalising some of these relationships by establishing new or updated Memorandums of Understanding. The MoUs provide a framework for future collaboration, with a view to optimising resources to ensure maximum benefit for both organisations’ members and the wider analytical community. In addition to the MoU signed with NMKL (Nordic Committee on Food Analysis) reported in the last issue, we have recently signed MoUs with Eurolab and the Europe Section of AOAC International.
One area where collaboration is planned is around the issue of validation of sampling activities. The Eurachem Working Groups on ‘Method Validation’ and ‘Uncertainty from Sampling’ have formed a joint task group to discuss and ultimately develop guidance on this topic. Although the activity is in its early days, a number of representatives from our liaison organisations have already joined the group.
If you would like to keep up to date with Eurachem activities you can:
• Follow our LinkedIn page https://eurachem.org/linkedin
• Follow us on Twitter @EurachemEurope
• Subscribe to our news mailing list https://www.eurachem.org/subscribe for occasional email updates
Dr Tang Lin Teo (HSA) – member of the Scientific Committee for the workshop on ‘Assessment of performance and uncertainty in qualitative chemical analysis’.
Some of the recently translated leaflets.