Spectroscopy is playing an increasingly important role in detecting adulteration in food products. We highlight some of the recent research on this topic in this Q&A.

Top articles published this week include a new Pathways in Spectroscopy episode, an inside look at how spectroscopy is being used in clinical diagnostics to assess drug induced liver injury, and a couple preview articles about two upcoming spectroscopy conferences.

Our coverage of the Spring SciX Conference includes a profile on the current issues of current clinical diagnostics, including how spectroscopy can improve assessment of drug induced liver injury.

Can visible-near-infrared (vis-NIR) spectroscopy detect toxic trace elements in soil and sediments effectively?

Researchers have identified chemical signatures in the South Atlantic Ocean that could allow scientists to track the movement of major deep-water masses using dissolved organic matter.

A recent article examines whether attenuated total reflection (ATR) accessories with diamond elements truly function as “universal” sampling tools for FT-IR analysis, highlighting the technique’s practical advantages alongside important limitations rooted in sample properties and instrument considerations.

In this overview of the upcoming International Symposium for Molecular Spectroscopy (ISMS), we discuss the awards given out at the conference.

Researchers at the National University of Singapore have demonstrated that widely used spectroscopic methods for detecting adulteration in edible bird's nest products are based on a false assumption — that genuine product has a uniform chemical signature.

A recent study in Analytical Biochemistry identified optimized circular dichroism spectroscopy parameters that reduced protein analysis times by up to 20-fold while maintaining data quality.

Accurate and precise measurements are important in analytical science, as this “Pathways in Spectroscopy” clip explains.

A systematic review from Beijing researchers maps how surface-enhanced and high-speed Raman technologies are reshaping what forensic examiners can extract from a single latent print.

Insights from experts this week explored how engineering students can transition to analytical chemistry, how spectroscopy is being used for coral reef monitoring, and the role spectroscopy has played in studying meteorites.

This first installment of Research Profiles in Spectroscopy Series features The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Petrochronology Research Group and its advances in laser ablation ICP-MS, isotope geochemistry, and petrochronology. Led by John Cottle, Andrew Kylander-Clark, and Morgan Adamson, the group has developed innovative spectroscopic methods that combine high-resolution isotopic dating with trace-element analysis to better understand petrochronology processes, including mountain building, crustal evolution, and complex geological processes.

How does hydrostatic pressure regulate deep-sea microbial processes?

Researchers used complementary spectroscopic techniques and computational modeling to investigate how glycerol affects cysteamine dioxygenase (ADO)’s active site, substrate binding, and broader physiological roles in metabolism and oxygen sensing.

Can thiol dioxygenase be a uniquely dual-function enzyme that links metabolism and oxygen sensing?

Spectroscopy is telling us the extraterrestrial history of space objects, helping us learn about planetary origins.

The 2026 Food Safety Summit is set to take place from May 11–14, in Rosemont, Illinois. Here’s what attendees should know.

The 79th meeting of the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy is set to take place in June. Here’s what attendees should know.

A peer-reviewed study published in Remote Sensing confirms that a commercial Earth-observation satellite can map live coral cover with accuracy comparable to specialized aircraft — a potential turning point for global reef monitoring.

In this “Pathways in Spectroscopy” episode, Ayush Agarwal, a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing in Berlin, discusses how his background in chemical engineering helped him make the adjustment to analytical spectroscopy and chemistry.

This new feature in Spectroscopy introduces a structured, application-focused series that curates and examines the most influential research papers in molecular and atomic spectroscopy. Each installment presents a focused “Top 10” collection of seminal publications within a specific analytical domain, spanning techniques such as ultraviolet–visible, infrared, Raman, near-infrared, and atomic spectroscopy. Across biomedical, biopharmaceutical, environmental, and forensic applications, the selected papers illustrate how spectroscopic methods are applied to real-world analytical challenges. Emphasis is placed on the integration of spectral data with chemometric approaches to enable robust calibration, accurate prediction, and meaningful interpretation. Together, these curated collections provide practitioners with a concise, application-oriented perspective on impactful developments in spectroscopy. This article brings together the first nine “Top 10” collections in the series, offering a cross-disciplinary view of influential work shaping the field.

Insights from experts this week explored topics such as career transitions in spectroscopy, how near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy can study collagen in archaeological remains, and the key takeaways from the Spring SciX Conference in Exeter, United Kingdom.

Spectroscopy associate editorial director Jerome Workman Jr. highlights the current trends and ongoing research in space exploration.

In the final clip of our conversation with Thomas Mayerhöfer, he talks about attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy's sensitivity to nanometer-thick layers, and its connection to spectroscopic ellipsometry.

Metrohm USA has introduced two new laboratory Raman spectrometers—the i-Raman NxG and i-Raman Duo—targeting researchers and quality control teams who require more detailed chemical characterization than standard identification systems provide.

How can micro-particle induced X-ray emission (µ-PIXE) and micro-ion beam induced luminescence (µ-IBIL) spectroscopy improve conservation practices?