Abstract

There is a pressing need for advanced analytical instrumentation in African universities. Foundation for Analytical Science & Technology in Africa (FASTA) is a charitable company that was established in 2005 in response to a request to provide instrumentation to the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology (JKUAT) in Nairobi, Kenya. FASTA was founded by Steve Lancaster of Domino Printing Sciences and Barrie Nixon of Mass Spec Technologies Ltd. The objectives of the organisation are to support scientific education, analytical research and the preservation of the environment in Africa via capacity-building and technology transfer.

This presentation will describe how these aims are achieved and sustained. It will discuss the fundraising activities, installation, maintenance and training in analytical instrumentation in the Chemistry Department at JKUAT . It will also describe how this equipment is facilitating postgraduate research and analysis of a wide range of samples including environmentally important samples. A case study on the use of analytical chemistry for the preservation of African vultures will be presented.