Mission
In the founding documents associated with the establishment for the IABR the following goals are articulated:
- Organize international breath research meetings;
- Increase cooperation and collaboration of research groups working on breath analysis throughout Europe and the world;
- Foster support of young researchers or new investigators to the field of breath analysis;
- Establish collaborative efforts to compare the results obtained by different analytical techniques used by research groups;
- Provide an internet-accessible database of volatile substances, their physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties and their use in medical applications; and
- Identify sources of money to support IABR activities.
Special Goals
Specifically, IABR has been moving forward and making progress towards these goals:
Young researchers
IABR has an awards program to acknowledge the best poster or the best short talk presented at an IABR conference by researchers under 37 years of age.
Scientific exchange
IABR has encouraged inter-university collaborative research programs supported by the European Research Council and similar collaborations in the US supported by the National Institutes of Health. IABR hopes to continue to foster multi-center clinical trials based on breath research like those for lung diseases and breath nitric oxide.
Analytical instrumentation
IABR has promoted the development of novel analytical techniques and instrumentation to address the unique characteristics of exhaled breath, especially with respect to complex organic mixtures and reactive metabolites. In addition to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, which has been and still remains to be the gold standard for breath analysis, many other analytical technologies have found their way into breath analysis. These technologies range from existing technologies that have been adapted for breath analysis, improvements that have enabled their application in breath analysis, and the development of novel technologies. These trends are seen across the technological spectrum, from sensor systems targeted to specific compounds to complex instruments that analyze nearly the whole range of exhaled compounds.
IABR Membership
Become a member of the International Association of Breath Research and help to support the association. Members in good-standing will be eligible for a reduced registration fee for the official IABR Breath Summit conferences.