Pittsburgh, PA, February 3, 2009 - The Pittsburgh Conference has announced that Dr. Chad Mirkin, Northwestern University, Dr. R. Graham Cooks, Purdue University, and Dr. Gary Heiftje of Indiana University will be recognized for outstanding contributions to science at Pittcon 2009, to be held March 8 -13th, at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL.  Held annually in various cities in the U.S., Pittcon is the most comprehensive annual conference and exposition dedicated to the laboratory sciences and addresses many issues that impact the global economy.  The three researchers will be joined by more than two hundred academics from Midwestern Universities and other scientists from around the world who will present their latest research in the Pittcon Technical Program.
 
Dr. Chad A. Mirkin, Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology, the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University will receive the 2009 Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award. The award acknowledges Dr. Mirkin's contributions to the field of analytical chemistry through the development of nanoparticle-based biodetection strategies, the invention of Dip-Pen Nanolithography, and significant contributions in supramolecular chemistry.
 
Dr. R. Graham Cooks, Henry B. Hass Distinguished Professor - Analytical Chemistry, Purdue University, will receive the Ralph N. Adams Award.  Dr. Cooks' group focuses on mass spectrometry, including fundamental phenomena, instrumentation and analytical applications. At the awards presentation, Dr. Cooks will present his group's most recent work in desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) which allows mass spectra to be obtained almost anywhere at ambient temperatures, from inert surfaces or directly from living tissues with no sample preparation.  He envisions that this research will soon lead to the commercial development of a miniature mass spectrometer that would enable rapid tissue analyses in situ, during surgery.
 
Dr. Gary M. Hieftje, Distinguished Professor and Mann Chair of Chemistry at Indiana University, will receive the Maurice F. Hasler Award, which recognizes notable achievements in spectroscopy that have significantly improved applications on a broad scale. Dr. Hieftje will be recognized for his outstanding contributions to atomic spectroscopy for over 40 years.  He has won numerous awards in the fields of analytical chemistry and spectroscopy and is the author of over 500 publications, 10 books, and 15 patents.
 
Pittcon 2009 also features contributions from past Pittcon awardees from Midwestern Universities, including:
 

• Neil Kelleher, University of Illinois, 2008 Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award
• Jonathan Sweedler, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2007 Analytical Chemistry Award
• Mark Meyerhoff, University of Michigan, 2006 Charles Nelson Reilly Award
• Peter Carr, University of Minnesota, 2004 Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award
• Paul Bohn, University of Illinois, 2004 Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award
• Milos Novotny, Indiana University, 2004 Dal Nogare Award and 2000 Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award

 
Pittcon 2009 is anticipating more than 20,000 attendees representing nearly 100 countries.  The Technical Program offers a view of the role science plays in addressing some of the most pressing global issues, such as food quality and safety, the environment, biological weapons detection and even space exploration.  In addition, more than 1,000 companies will be exhibiting the latest scientific instrumentation and laboratory equipment during the Exposition.
 
More information about Pittcon 2009 can be found at www.pittcon.org.