An eclectic gas mixture at the Wellcome Collection

The most recent GASG meeting took place on 4th December 2025 at the Wellcome Collection, London, a renowned museum which blends history, art, and science to tell varied stories about health and the environment. The meeting programme, under the title ‘Special Gases & Unusual Places’ was similarly eclectic, featuring two plenary talks.

Professor Mark Miodownik spoke on ‘The Magnificent and Elusive Elements that Expand our World’, covering a wide range of historical issues relating to the discovery and use of gases, while Dr Claire Guest OBE described her work on disease detection with highly trained Medical Detection Dogs in ‘Forging a New Path in Science’. In a first for GASG, delegates were also treated to an impressive live demonstration showing the speed with which samples can be reliably differentiated by canines.

The packed day also included presentations on Exoplanet Atmospheres, NOx in Smart Dressings, Gas Raman for Tritium Analysis and Locating Buried Victims via gas emissions. A seasonal note was provided by a wide-ranging review of ‘The 12 VOCs of Christmas’ completing one of GASG’s most informative and varied programmes of recent years.

GASG are finalising the programme for their next meeting - ‘Something In The Air - Atmospheric Composition Monitoring’. This will be held at the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, on Thursday 23rd April 2026. While there has been significant political focus on the polar regions of late and much critical research continues there, this event will encompass a broad spectrum of gas detection technologies and atmospheric measurement applications at all latitudes.

Talks will include reviews of the field of environmental sensing from experts at the forefront of the emerging UK market. The analysis of VOCs in some very isolated locations will also be described - a particularly challenging task when high-end analytical capabilities are required. Up-to-date details of the programme are available on the GASG website, so reserve the date for what promises to be a fascinating meeting encompassing everything from the remote to the everyday.