The Role of LIBS in ChemCam and SuperCam: An Interview with Kelsey Williams, Part III
May 2nd 2025In this extended Q&A interview, we sit down with Kelsey Williams, a postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), who is working on planetary instrumentation using spectroscopic techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS). In Part III, Williams goes into detail about ChemCam and SuperCam and how LIBS is used in both these instruments.
Noureddine Melikechi on Analyzing the Red Planet with NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory
May 2nd 2025Noureddine Melikechi, dean of the Kennedy College of Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, discusses his work analyzing spectroscopic data collected by the Chemistry Camera (ChemCam) aboard NASA’s Curiosity Rover.
LIBS Illuminates the Hidden Health Risks of Indoor Welding and Soldering
April 23rd 2025A new dual-spectroscopy approach reveals real-time pollution threats in indoor workspaces. Chinese researchers have pioneered the use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and aerosol mass spectrometry to uncover and monitor harmful heavy metal and dust emissions from soldering and welding in real-time. These complementary tools offer a fast, accurate means to evaluate air quality threats in industrial and indoor environments—where people spend most of their time.
New Multi-Spectroscopic System Enhances Cultural Heritage Analysis
April 2nd 2025A new study published in Talanta introduces SYSPECTRAL, a portable multi-spectroscopic system that can conduct non-invasive, in situ chemical analysis of cultural heritage materials by integrating LIBS, LIF, Raman, and reflectance spectroscopy into a single compact device.
Nanoparticle-Enhanced LIBS Mapping Uncovers Coffee-Ring Effect in Serum Analysis
February 27th 2025Researchers from the Harbin Institute of Technology and Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital have demonstrated how optimizing silver nanoparticle concentrations can mitigate the coffee-ring effect in nanoparticle-enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (NELIBS), improving the accuracy of elemental analysis in bioliquid samples.
Best of the Week: Seed Vigor, Flower Classification, Emerging Leader in Atomic Spectroscopy
January 10th 2025Top articles published this week include two peer-reviewed articles that explore optical detection technology for seed vigor and classifying flowers, as well as a profile on Benjamin Manard, who was recognized as the winner of the 2025 Emerging Leader in Atomic Spectroscopy.
The Fundamental Role of Advanced Hyphenated Techniques in Lithium-Ion Battery Research
December 4th 2024Spectroscopy spoke with Uwe Karst, a full professor at the University of Münster in the Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, to discuss his research on hyphenated analytical techniques in battery research.
New Study Reveals How NASA’s Perseverance Rover Uses LIBS for Precise Mars Rock Analysis
November 12th 2024NASA’s Perseverance rover is collecting valuable information for scientists back on Earth. A recent study explored how laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is being used to analyze the Martian surface.