Best of the Week: Assessing Drug Induced Liver Injury, Guiding Principles for Analytical Scientists

Welcome back to Best of the Week from Spectroscopy—your roundup of the most important stories, insights, and conversations in the world of spectroscopy.

This week, we're covering a brand-new “Pathways in Spectroscopy” episode, a fascinating look at how spectroscopy is being used in clinical diagnostics, and preview coverage of two major upcoming conferences. Let's dive in.

First up — why current tests for assessing drug-induced liver injury fall short.

As part of our coverage of Spring SciX 2026, which was held this year at the University of Exeter, we sat down with Sian Sloan-Dennison, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Strathclyde. Her presentation, titled "Droplets to Diagnosis: Digital Microfluidic SERS Detection of microRNA-122," introduced a promising new platform for diagnosing drug-induced liver injury (DILI).

Current diagnostic tests for DILI have real limitations, and Sloan-Dennison walked us through exactly where they fall short, and how combining digital microfluidics with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, known as SERS, could change the game. Spring SciX 2026 had a strong focus on AI, data standardization, and reproducibility in analytical and biomedical research, and this interview fits right at that intersection.

Next — a new episode of Pathways in Spectroscopy.

This week's guest is Ayush Agarwal, a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing in Berlin. Ayush shared the guiding principle behind all of his work, and honestly, it's one worth writing down:

"We cannot improve something we cannot measure."

Drawing on his background in chemical engineering and analytical chemistry, Ayush makes the case that accurate and precise measurement isn't just a technical requirement — it's the very foundation of meaningful scientific progress. He uses a really compelling analogy: just like a doctor depends on reliable test results to make a diagnosis, scientists depend on trustworthy measurements to move their work forward. It's a thought-provoking episode — well worth your time.

Now, a couple of conference previews you won't want to miss.

First, we're spotlighting the awards being given out at the 79th International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy (ISMS) this year. This year's honors cover the full career spectrum, from the Flygare Award for early-career independent scientists, to the Rao Prize and Miller Prize recognizing outstanding graduate and Ph.D-level research. There's also the Hougen Award supporting international attendees, and the Snyder Award celebrating graduate students pushing the boundaries of astrochemistry. Head to our site for the full breakdown.

And second, we're previewing the Chemometrics in Analytical Chemistry (CAC) International Conference, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The event runs June 29th through July 3rd in Tarragona, Spain. Attendees can look forward to keynotes, poster sessions, and four pre-conference courses covering machine learning, multivariate curve resolution, and handheld spectroscopy. Awards, networking, and cultural events round out what should be a fantastic week.

That's your Best of the Week from Spectroscopy Online. For all of these stories and more, visit SpectroscopyOnline.com. We'll see you next week.

References

1. Sloan-Dennison, S.; Wetzel, W. Why Current Tests for Assessing Drug Induced Liver Injury Fall Short. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/why-current-tests-for-assessing-drug-induced-liver-injury-fall-short (accessed 2026-05-14).
2. Agarwal, A.; Wetzel, W. A Guiding Principle for Analytical Scientists. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/a-guiding-principle-for-analytical-scientists (accessed 2026-05-11).
3. Wetzel, W. What is the Path Forward for Soil Contamination Monitoring? Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/what-is-the-path-forward-for-soil-contamination-monitoring (accessed 2026-05-11).
4. Wetzel, W.; Spectroscopy Staff. Spotlighting the Awards Given Out at ISMS 2026. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/spotlighting-the-awards-given-out-at-isms-2026 (accessed 2026-05-13).
5. Wetzel, W. Previewing the Chemometrics in Analytical Chemistry (CAC-2026) International Conference. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/previewing-the-chemometrics-in-analytical-chemistry-cac-2026-international-conference (accessed 2026-05-12).