In the first part of our interview with Ken Marcus of Clemson University, he discusses what he enjoys about the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry. Marcus also dives into his research and how the instrumentation his group uses allows for better separation of isobars without the need for chemical intervention, enhancing the accuracy of mass spectrometry (MS) readings.

In this video segment, Spiros Pergantis of the University of Crete discusses the supportive and tightly-knit nature of the spectroscopy community, which was evident at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry.

Researchers explored near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) spectroscopy as a fast, noninvasive, and portable alternative for chemical warfare agent detection, addressing limitations of existing on-site analytical methods. Spectroscopy spoke to Jelle C. de Koning, corresponding author of the paper resulting from this work

Top articles published this week include our exclusive interviews with key opinion leaders at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry.

Hunter Andrews, an R&D Staff Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, discusses how other analytical approaches, such as mass spectrometry (MS), chemometrics, and electrochemistry, can help contribute to building better monitoring systems.

Patrick Parsons of the New York State Department of Health reflects on the ongoing challenges and future opportunities where X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instruments can be used to test food matrices.

In this video segment, Anika Retzmann of the University of Calgary discusses how analyzing elemental and stable metal isotopic compositions of biological systems help answer fundamentally different research questions across fields such as biomedicine and environmental science.

In this video clip, discover insights from Alexander Scheeline's talk on transient discharges at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry.

Patrick Parsons of the New York State Department of Health discusses how X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instruments can be used in food safety monitoring applications.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a dual AI framework that uses synthetic vegetation index data and an advanced Transformer-based segmentation model to significantly improve early detection of winter damage on golf course turf.

Pittcon 2026 will take place March 9–11, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas, building on the 2025 conference’s emphasis on eco-friendly practices and serving as the premier global event in analytical research, scientific instrumentation, and applied spectroscopy. An opening plenary session, “Spectroscopy and Sustainability: A Perfect Match,” will highlight how advances in spectroscopic technologies—from biomedical and pharmaceutical applications to UAV-based hyperspectral imaging, CBRNE detection, hazardous materials monitoring, and even extraterrestrial studies—are driving sustainable solutions across diverse fields.

Hunter Andrews, an R&D Staff Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, discusses the key role that laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) plays in his research.

Gerardo Gamez, a Professor and Graduate Advisor at Texas Tech University, discusses the work that his laboratory at Texas Tech University performs using compressed sensing spectroscopy techniques.

Researchers at Jiangnan University have developed a rapid, one-pot magnetic enrichment and electrochemical sensing platform that enables highly sensitive, streamlined detection of polystyrene microplastics.

Responding to a growing need for real-time elemental analysis, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the launch of its Niton XL5e Handheld XRF Analyzer.

Patrick Parsons of the New York State Department of Health discusses the results of his recent study comparing different X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers.

Gerardo Gamez, a Professor and Graduate Advisor at Texas Tech University, provides an overview about what glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) is and why it’s a useful technique for elemental mapping.

Hunter Andrews, an R&D Staff Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, discusses the work that he does in his laboratory.

Top articles published this week include two interviews previewing the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry and an inside look at shale oil extraction.

A recent study demonstrated that hyperspectral imaging offers a highly accurate, dramatically faster alternative to traditional FT-IR methods for identifying microplastics in the Po River.

Patrick Parsons of the New York State Department of Health previews his upcoming talk at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry.

Hunter Andrews, an R&D Staff Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, discusses what he is looking forward to at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry.

Gerardo Gamez, a Professor and Graduate Advisor at Texas Tech University, previews his upcoming talk at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry.

At the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, Hunter Andrews, an R&D Staff Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will be giving a talk about using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for molten salt reactor monitoring. Andrews provides a preview of his upcoming talk here.

In this episode, podcast co-hosts Dr. Dwight Stoll and Dr. James Grinias talk with Professor Kelly Hines. Dr. Hines is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Georgia in Athens.

Researchers at Washington State University Tri-Cities demonstrate that combining Raman and infrared spectroscopy with convolutional neural networks enables highly accurate, low-cost, and field-ready automated plastic identification.

A recent review article explored methods that are used in agriculture to detect ammonia in pig housing. In the second part of our discussion of this topic, we focus on the protocols and frameworks and their importance in measuring ammonia in pig production.

A new review article systematically compared ammonia monitoring technologies and measurement protocols in pig production, offering a practical decision-support framework to guide researchers, farmers, and policymakers toward reliable, regulation-ready emission monitoring.