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Robert Ewing of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. | Photo Credit: Will Wetzel

In this interview segment, Robert Ewing discusses how his contactless method improves on traditional drug detection techniques and how the VaporID technology remains adaptive to emerging synthetic variants.

Golden sign outside the United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) © stockyme -chronicles-stock.adobe.com

DOGE-related federal funding cuts have sharply reduced salaries, lab budgets, and graduate support in academia. Researchers view the politically driven shifts in priorities as part of recurring systemic issues in U.S. science funding during administrative transitions. The impact on Federal laboratories has varied, with some seeing immediate effects and others experiencing more gradual effects. In general, there is rising uncertainty over future appropriations. Sustainable recovery may require structural reforms, leaner administration, and stronger industry-academia collaboration. New commentary underscores similar challenges, noting scaled-back graduate admissions, spending freezes, and a pervasive sense of overwhelming stress among faculty, students, and staff. This article addresses these issues for the analytical chemistry community.

Robert Ewing of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. | Photo Credit: Will Wetzel

In the first part of a three-part interview, Robert Ewing discusses the core technology behind the VaporID system, explains how the system differs from current IMS systems, and describes the challenges the team faced in miniaturizing the VaporID device into a portable, microwave-sized system.