Cows, Barns and Drugs - Assessing portable instruments at music festivals

This two part webinar will feature an overview of the RADIAN ASAP Mass Detector, a compact device based on Atmospheric Solids Analysis Prove-Mass Spectrometry (ASAP-MS), will be presented.

The first part will explain how direct ionization mass spectrometry can be used for rapid screening of drugs, including the mechanism of ASAP ionization. This includes details of the sample preparation methods and analytical methodology to screen for common drugs and novel psychoactive substances (NPS), and easily compare to a known library.

More recently paper and other materials infused with drug compounds have been smuggled into UK prisons, including letters to inmates impregnated with drugs which include NPS and synthetic cannabinoids. This will be outlined during the second part of the webinar.

Learning objectives:

• Discover the potential of the RADIAN ASAP as a simple, yet rapid, screening tool for drug infused paper.
• Understand the capabilities such instrumentation can bring to your laboratory.
• See how our customers are using the RADIAN ASAP in real situations.

Presenter: Anca Frinculescu (Pharmaceutical Analyst, TICTAC Communications Ltd.)

Anca Frinculescu works as a pharmaceutical analyst for TICTAC Communications Ltd. (TCL), a UK based company providing drug analysis and drug information services. Anca has worked in the field since 2015 and has experience in assessing drug analysis instruments and in assisting healthcare and law enforcement agencies with their drug identification and drug analysis requirements. In addition to operating the widely used TICTAC visual drug identification system and TICTAC FTIR spectral library of new psychoactive substances, TCL owns the world’s largest collection of medicines and drugs. It is this collection which facilitates TCL’s assessment of drug analysis instruments and methods.

Anca received a BA and MSc degree in Pharmacy from University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania in 2012 and an MSc degree in Forensic Medical Sciences from William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London in 2014. Currently, she is doing a part-time PhD at King’s College London, expected to be completed in 2024.

Presenter: Emily Lee (Application Scientist, Waters Corporation)

Emily Lee is an Application Scientist at Waters Corporation. Emily is part of a global team dedicated to the development of applications and analytical solutions for Forensics and Toxicology. Emily has gained experience in the use of various Waters mass spectrometry technologies for the analysis of forensic and toxicologically relevant analytes. Prior to working at Waters, Emily has experience working in forensic toxicology laboratories, with high sample turnover and fast turnaround times. Emily was involved in many aspects of day-to-day laboratory operations including sample extraction, analysis, method development and validation, analytical troubleshooting and reporting. Emily also gained a MSc in Forensic Science (Toxicology) at the University of Huddersfield.