Best of the Week: Career Preparation, Ocean Analysis, and Meteorites

Is it possible for chemical engineers to transition to jobs in analytical chemistry? According to Ayush Agarwal, he's living proof that it is possible. In our “Pathways in Spectroscopy” interview, Agarwal, a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing in Berlin, discusses how his background in chemical engineering gave him a strong foundation for a career in analytical spectroscopy. He explains that engineering taught him to focus on the purpose and broader impact of scientific measurements, and that hands-on experience with process diagrams and biogas plant sampling helped him understand how discoveries translate into practical technologies.¹

Also this week, Brad Pierce and Joshua Helms of the University of Alabama share new findings on how glycerol boosts catalytic efficiency in cysteamine dioxygenase, which is an enzyme involved in oxygen sensing. Their research showed that glycerol promotes a more active binding state at the enzyme's iron center, increasing efficiency by roughly sevenfold.² Spectroscopic and computational analyses confirmed that glycerol actively reshapes the enzyme's active-site environment rather than acting as a passive additive.²

In another interview, Urban Wünsch and Maria Papadimitraki discuss a newly developed high-pressure spectroscopic system designed to study microbial enzyme activity under deep-sea conditions. This system was designed to withstand tough pressures while enabling real-time absorption and fluorescence measurements.³

In another news story, we reported on a recent study from Arizona State University that demonstrated how a spaceborne imaging spectrometer can accurately map live coral cover from space down to depths of 25 meters, which was a task previously limited to costly airborne surveys.⁴

And finally, researchers are combining spectroscopy and machine learning (ML) to advance the study of meteorites, improving asteroid classification and helping scientists reconstruct the early Solar System's history.⁵

And that will do it for the Best of the Week. We’ll see you next time.

References

1. Agarwal, A.; Wetzel, W. How Engineering Can Prepare You for a Career in Spectroscopy. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/how-engineering-can-prepare-you-for-a-career-in-spectroscopy (accessed 2026-05-05).
2. Pierce, B. S.; Helms, J.; Wetzel, W. How Glycerol Boosts Catalytic Efficiency in Thiol Dioxygenase (ADO). Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/how-glycerol-boosts-catalytic-efficiency-in-thiol-dioxygenase-ado- (accessed 2026-05-05).
3. Papadimitraki, M.; Wunsch, U. Exploring Deep-Sea Microbial Processes and Element Cycling. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/exploring-deep-sea-microbial-processes-and-element-cycling (accessed 2026-05-05).
4. Wetzel, W.; Spectroscopy Staff. Satellite Spectroscopy Matches Airborne Accuracy in Coral Reef Mapping, Study Finds. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/satellite-spectroscopy-matches-airborne-accuracy-in-coral-reef-mapping-study-finds (accessed 2026-05-05).
5. Wetzel, W. What Can Spectroscopy Tell Us in Studying Meteorites? Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/what-can-spectroscopy-tell-us-in-studying-meteorites- (accessed 2026-05-05).