John Chasse

Reflecting on 2024, the editors of Spectroscopy highlight some of the most notable articles and online content on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES).

In this Equipment Roundup, the editors of Spectroscopy feature Refeyn Ltd.’s upgraded MassFluidix HC system, optimizing efficiency and quality of mass photometry experiments.

Frank Vanhaecke and the Atomic & Mass Spectrometry Research Group of Belgium’s Ghent University recently developed a novel method allowing for direct isotopic analysis of mercury (Hg) in solid samples without any prior sample treatment being performed.

Spectroscopy Magazine sits down with Benjamin T. Manard of the Chemical Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, Tennessee), who will be receiving the Lester W. Strock Award, given by the New England Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, this October.

Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive x-ray (SEM/EDX) spectrometry analysis of cigarette burns on the corpse of a child led to adding child abuse to the charges against the alleged perpetrator.

The introduction of miniaturized near-infrared (NIR) instruments has transformed the use of technology in the field of forensics. A recent research paper examines the main aspects and provides a comprehensive, critical review of this equipment.

The Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology of Bundelkhand University (Jhansi, India) has used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) combined with principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square regression (PLSR) to investigate adulteration in petroleum products and to design an adulterant profiling method.

Researchers at Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas) presented a novel approach to forensic hair analysis that is based on high-throughput, nondestructive, and non-invasive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and machine learning (ML). Using this approach, Dmitry Kurouski and his team investigated the reliability of the detection and identification of artificial dyes on hair buried in three distinct soil types for up to eight weeks.

A multi-organizational team, believing that a reason for slow adoption is a lack of evidence that data taken on one spectrometer can transfer across to data taken on another spectrometer to provide consistent diagnoses, investigated multi-center transferability using human oesophageal tissue. By using a common protocol, the researchers aimed to minimize the difference in machine learning performance between centers.

A joint French-Canadian study examined the ripening process of commercially popular Comté and cheddar cheeses, which are widely consumed in those countries, utilizing mid-infrared (mid-IR) and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS) in their analysis.

A recent article authored by scientists from the Institute of Sport and Preventive Medicine, part of the University of Saarland (Saarbrücken, Germany), discusses their investigation of the absolute and relative test-retest reliability of the Moxy Monitor, as well as their investigations into side differences of oxygen saturation at the vastus lateralis muscle of both legs in male cyclists.

Spectroscopy Magazine sits down with Benjamin T. Manard of the Chemical Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, Tennessee), who will be receiving the Lester W. Strock Award, given by the New England Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, this October.

Jason Dwyer of the University of Rhode Island has been named the recipient of the American Electrophoresis Society’s Mid-Career Award, which honors exceptional contributions to the field of electrophoresis, microfluidics, and related areas by an individual who is currently in the middle of their career.

Ioan Notingher and a team of researchers from the University of Nottingham and the University of London presented a non-destructive technique based on autofluorescence (AF) imaging and Raman spectroscopy for intra-operative assessment of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) excised in breast cancer surgery.

Ji-Xin Cheng, Moustakas Chair Professor of Photonics and Optoelectornics at Boston University. will be receiving the ACS Award in Spectrochemical Analysis award at this year’s SciX conference.

In this, the first of our 2024 SciX Award Winner interviews, Craver Award recipient Conor L. Evans of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (Charlestown, Massachusetts) discusses his recently published study demonstrating sparse spectral sampling stimulated Raman scattering.

In this equipment roundup, the editors of Spectroscopy feature new instruments from SCIEX and ClearPoint.

Researchers have recently investigated the microdistribution of a variety of trace elements in dirty and washed toenails (and the speciation of arsenic specifically in situ) using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) and laterally resolved X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES).

Exum Industries, producers of the first laser ablation laser ionization time of flight mass spectrometer (LALI-TOF-MS), announced a partnership with Edge Scientific to better promote and distribute their products.

Using logistics regression on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) spectra of plasma samples collected pre- and post- Covid-19 pandemic from donors known to have developed various levels of antibodies to the SARS-Cov-2 virus, University of Massachusetts physics professor Nourddine Melikechi’s research team has shown that relying on the levels of sodium (Na), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg) together is more efficient at differentiating the two types of plasma samples than any single blood metal alone. We spoke to Melikechi about this research.

Portable spectrometers allow the equipment to be taken to the sample, as opposed to the sample to the spectrometer, moving the laboratory to the point of need.

During the Analytica conference in Munich, Germany experts from industry and academia discussed the latest trends in spectroscopy instrumentation.

Spectroscopy sat down with Jesse Bischof of SilcoTek to discuss metal ion leaching data measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Industrial scientists, in the spectroscopy community, scour the literature and scientific conferences to buy the technology they need.

Experts discuss Raman/SERS approaches across a number of different fields.

Peter Griffiths was honored for his unique achievements and significant contributions to the field of vibrational spectroscopy.

The Coblentz Society created the Clara Craver Award to recognize young individuals who have made significant contributions in applied analytical vibrational spectroscopy. The work may include any aspect of infrared (IR), terahertz (THz), or Raman spectroscopy in applied analytical vibrational spectroscopy. This year’s recipient, Ishan Barman, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University with joint appointments in Oncology and Radiology and Radiological Science.

A recent investigation of the optical emission of plasma on industrial steel samples using LA-SD-OES and LIBS revealed new findings about the oxide composition of the slag layer.

The AES Lifetime Achievement Award is given for exceptional career contributions to the fields of electrophoresis, electrokinetics, and related areas. This year’s recipient, James Landers of the University of Virginia, recently published (along with his colleagues) a paper illustrating a technique for fabricating electrophoretic microdevices for fluorescence detection.

Earlier this year, Spectroscopy spoke to Maria Montes-Bayón of the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Oviedo (Asturias, Spain) regarding her work with single cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to study the uptake and apoptotic status of nanoplatinum (IV) treated cells, specifically selenized yeast.