September 2021

Computerized system validation (CSV) has an uninspiring reputation for being a slow, no-value-added activity that only wastes time and delays the implementation of new software. Is that an accurate portrayal? And is it a necessary evil?

An increasing number of antibiotic residue problems in food have emerged around the world. We examine how SERS is used to identify antibiotic residues in chicken, focusing on doxycycline hydrochloride and tylosin.

This year’s molecular spectroscopy award recipient is Bhavya Sharma, who is demonstrating research leadership focused on neurochemical detection using SERS and SORS Raman spectroscopy.

Here, we finish a discussion of the spectrum of polyethylene (PE) and explore how different PE syntheses produce materials with different physical and spectroscopic properties.

To better understand Raman spectral profiles, we briefly examine spectral line shapes, while discussing spectral shape, bandwidth, and broadening as percentage of Gaussian and Lorentzian components.

Uwe Karst of the University of Münster in Germany explains the use of laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) imaging to provide spatially resolved quantification of trace elements in biological samples.