Itinerary

The first day will focus on the roles of FDA, USDA, EPA, AOAC, USP-NF, and the CFR.  Basic wet laboratory techniques, including the use of volumetric pipettes, burettes, and micropipettors, will be introduced.  These techniques will heavily be implemented throughout the two-week program.  Titrations of various consumer products will be introduced and a training activity will highlight the use of automated titrators commonly found in analytical laboratories.   

The USP-NF is a resource of monographs and testing techniques for drug substances, dosage forms, and compound formulations.  Dietary supplements are also included.  Monographs will be introduced and participants will be trained on dissolution, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and ultra-violet visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. 

This day will be a continuation of the USP-NF.  Data will be obtained from the HPLC, results will be calculated, and monograph tests will be finished.  Techniques on how to introduce basic concepts of dissolution and UV-Vis to pre-college students will be discussed. 

The Nutrition Label holds a wealth of laboratory results.  How do analysts calculate the amount of carbohydrates, protein, or fats in a food product?  What about sodium or vitamin content?  Basic qualitative tests will be presented, and techniques using titration, atomic absorption (AA), Soxhlet and Kjeldhal will be implemented.  

Results from titrations and the AA will be discussed.  Karl-Fisher titrations will be introduced.  Finally, sample processing using the Soxhlet and Kjeldhal methods will be finalized.  Techniques on how to easily implement food-related laboratory objectives to pre-college students will be discussed.

Making soaps, lip balms, and bath bombs can involve basic understanding of organic chemistry, product blending, and formulations.  On this day, participants will learn to make their own cosmetic products and will utilize high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to analyze lotions and sunscreens sold to consumers.   

These learning objectives will include the widest array of analytical instrumentation maintained by the Chemical Technology program.  Participants will use the Total Organic Carbon analyzer (TOC), gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS), ion chromatography (IC), and the atomic absorption (AA) spectrophotometer.  Routine laboratory analysis, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, water hardness, and residue will be performed.  The equipment and test methods included in this group of analysis will be used to study various water samples collected across New Hanover and Brunswick county.  

Results from each instrumental method will be tabulated and discussed, allowing participants to compare water samples from various locations across the area.  Discussions on how to include some of these learning objectives in the pre-college classroom will be introduced.  

Shows such as NCIS, CSI, and Dexter have sparked an interest in forensic chemistry.  Many topics in forensic chemistry will be introduce throughout the last two days of the academy.  These techniques will include blood analysis and identification, arson investigation, illicit drugs, and basics of electrophoresis and DNA.    

Thin layer chromatography (TLC) and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GCMS) will be used to finalize tests introduced on the previous day.  Ideas and techniques on how to implement electrophoresis activities to pre-college classrooms will be discussed.