Spectroscopy Interviews

In 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 II of our conversation with Williams, she talks about the potential of mass spectrometry (MS) in space exploration applications.

Join us in celebrating National Space Day! Today, Spectroscopy magazine is teaming up with the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) to honor National Space Day and highlight the latest advancements in space exploration.

In honor of National Space Day, we interviewed Kelsey Williams, who is a postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) working on planetary instrumentation using spectroscopic techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS). In Part I of our interview with Williams, she discusses how her background led her to her current position at LANL.

In Part 2 of our video interview with Johanna Weker of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, she discusses nutrient recovery systems and how X-ray techniques can improve them.

"Inside the Laboratory" is a joint series with LCGC and Spectroscopy profiling analytical scientists and their research groups at universities worldwide. This series spotlights the current chromatographic and spectroscopic research their groups are conducting and the importance of their research in analytical chemistry and specific industries. In this edition of “Inside the Laboratory,” Johanna Nelson Weker of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory discusses her laboratory’s work in battery analysis.

In this brief segment from my full-length conversation with Monica Arienzo of the Desert Research Institute, she discusses the important key findings of her study.

In this brief segment from my full-length conversation with Monica Arienzo of the Desert Research Institute, she discusses the important key findings of her study.

In this brief segment from my full-length conversation with Monica Arienzo, who was the lead author of this study, she discusses whether there was a correlation between the different types of litter and the polymer type.

In this brief segment from my full-length conversation with Monica Arienzo, she explains why ATR FT-IR spectroscopy was the ideal technique of choice for her study characterizing polymers from the litter found on the lakebed of Lake Tahoe.

In the lead up to Earth Day 2025, we revisit an interview conducted with Monica Arienzo that discusses how ATR-FT-IR spectroscopy was used to classify polymers in plastic litter types found in Lake Tahoe back in 2023.

Tom Metz of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory spoke with us about his work using about using advanced mass spectrometry (MS) to study Ebola in Sierra Leone in 2015.

In this interview segment, John Richmond and Tom Dearing, both of Thermo Fisher Scientific, discuss the software the MarqMetrix All-In-One Raman Analyzer uses and how it aids in interpreting complex Raman spectra, providing insights into the configurations that the instrument allows for.

In this interview segment, John Richmond and Tom Dearing of Thermo Fisher Scientific explain how Raman spectroscopy is used in the MarqMetrix All-In-One Raman Analyzer, as well as the challenges faced when using Raman spectroscopy in process environments.

In this full-length interview, Thomas (Tom) Metz, a Laboratory Fellow and Chief Science Officer of the Biological Sciences Division at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, discusses his research and his thoughts from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Conference.

In this video interview segment, we asked Claire Glynn about the latest technological developments, and what type of challenges forensic scientists are currently facing.

In this video interview segment, Glynn of the University of New Haven discusses the significant advancements in forensic technology, particularly the use of forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG) for identifying human remains.

In this video interview clip, Claire Glynn highlights the advancements in portable DNA analysis, emphasizing its current role rather than future potential in forensic science.

This interview segment shifts away from the technology that is impacting forensic sciences and instead focuses on a broader issue in the industry.

In this video segment, Metz discusses advancements in field deployable units, such as miniaturized mass spectrometers and separation devices, which are notable for their size reduction.

In this video clip, Eldridge identifies three main challenges in the forensic science field: funding constraints, effective communication of results, and the implementation of new standards.

In this video clip, Metz discusses his focus on molecular measurement science using mass spectrometry (MS) to study small molecules, emphasizing the challenge of identifying and quantifying unknown compounds.

Our full-length interview with Huck covers more than just NIR spectroscopy in food and bio analysis. Spectroscopy sat down with Huck to also discuss current trends going on in spectroscopy, delving into what challenges spectroscopists face today and how they can solve these concerns.

Spectroscopy recently sat down with Dr. Geraldine Monjardez and two of her coauthors, Dr. Christopher Zall and Dr. Jared Estevanes, to discuss their most recent study, which examined the crystal structure of ammonium nitrate (AN) following exposure to explosive events.

In part 2 of our interview with Oskar Hagelskjaer of Microplastic Solution, he discusses the benefits of using automated Raman microspectroscopy to detect and analyze microplastics in drinking water.

Spectroscopy sat down with Oskar Hagelskjaer, Founder and CEO of Microplastic Solution, to discuss his latest study whose findings challenge EU Directive 2020/2184 regarding microplastic detection in potable water.