Detection of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Agents for the Prevention of Terrorism

Abstract

This NATO-ASI (Advanced Study Institute) entitled Detection of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Agents for the Prevention of Terrorism was held successfully at the Certosa di Pontignano – Università degli Studi di Siena, Castelnuovo Berardenga (SI), Italy, from May 25 to June 2, 2013. It was a great success from both scientifi c and organizational points of view. We were extremely lucky to have an excellent organizing committee which facilitated all the tasks associated with this NATO-ASI. The excellent efforts of Professors Richard Caprioli (Vanderbilt University), Gianluca Giorgi (University of Siena) and Mokhtar El Essassi (Mohammed V University, Agdal) are sincerely acknowledged. We are indebted to Professor Caprioli who was instrumental in inviting the best CBRN lecturers and industrial partners and, in addition, let us avail of Ms. Maureen Casey, Managing Editor of the Journal of Mass Spectrometry , for all the organizational work. We were privileged and honoured to have as lecturers for this NATO-ASI a succession of world-renowned scientists, namely Professor Richard Caprioli; Stanley Cohen, Professor of Biochemistry, Director of the Mass Spectrometry Research Center, VICC Member and Chief Editor of the Journal of Mass Spectrometry , from Vanderbilt University; Professor Alvin Fox, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, USC School of Medicine, Columbia, USA, who is also Editor in Chief of the Journal of Microbiological Methods and joint Editor in Chief of Molecular and Cellular Probes ; Professor Guenter Allmaier, Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analysis, Vienna University of Technology; Professor Mark Duncan of the School of Medicine, University of Colorado, USA; Professor Gianluca Giorgi, University of Sienna; Professor Giovanni Sindona, University of Calabria; Dr. Steve Lammert, Torion Technologies Development, Utah, USA; and Dr. Oliver Terzic from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, to present a series of lectures on CBRN agents detection.