Looking at the year ahead
Lisa A. Karter
Chief Editor
January is a month of resolutions. Lose weight. Eat more vegetables. Consume less fat. Get some exercise. Spend more time with the family. But my favorite author, Ernest Hemingway, once said, “Never confuse motion with action.” With that sage advice, I find myself trying to make resolutions that can be achieved.
One goal we are trying diligently to achieve at CleanRooms is improving the scope and quality of our coverage of the life sciences. We are working to bring you better, more complete coverage of the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and health care industries. In keeping with this goal, I am pleased to bring you the first column in a series on current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) penned by Dr. Richard Prince. Dubbed “GMP Buzz,” Dr. Prince`s columns will discuss the latest topics in cGMPs that should trigger some interesting debates among our readers. This month, his topic is rotating disinfectants on page 29.
Another extremely important issue affecting our readers is the problem of airborne molecular contamination. Associate Editor Susan English-Seaton wrote a comprehensive article on the topic, which many define as chemical contamination that occurs upon exposure to airborne gases and vapors during wafer handling, storage, and transport. Indeed, the subject is so multi-faceted that CleanRooms will be closely following AMC issues throughout this year.
As some of you know, Susan is leaving CleanRooms to pursue a master`s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri`s Columbia School of Journalism. She has worked at CleanRooms for three years and has been tackling issues such as AMC, garment testing, clean construction protocols and many others during her tenure. Please join me in wishing Susan the best of luck and happiness in her new career outside of the world of contamination control.
In the coming year, we have some exciting events scheduled! Former Astronaut James A. Lovell will give the keynote speech at the CleanRooms East `98 Conference and Exhibition Kickoff Breakfast on Tuesday, March 3 in Baltimore. I`m sure many of you know his story. He was the commander of the perilous Apollo 13 mission to the moon, which was the subject of the award-winning Apollo 13 movie. Lovell and his crew successfully modified their lunar module into a lifeboat when their cryogenic oxygen system failed as they traveled to the moon in April 1970.
It was just eight years prior to that mission — just one year after the cleanroom was invented to help the U.S. compete in the Space Race — that Lovell was chosen for the space program following his extensive experience as a naval aviator and test pilot. He executed various commands in the Gemini Mission Program. At the close of the Gemini program, Lovell became command module pilot and navigator for the epic six-day journey on Apollo 8, man`s maiden voyage to the moon, during which he and his fellow crewmen became the first humans to leave the Earth`s gravitational influence. I`m sure you`ll enjoy hearing Lovell`s experiences.
This year also kicks off the first CleanRooms Europe show in Frankfurt, Germany on June 16-19. Hope to see you there. Happy New Year!