Best of the Week: Complex Organic Molecules, Molecular Analyzers in Oil and Gas

This week, Spectroscopy highlighted several key topics, including the growing use of real-time molecular analyzers in the oil and gas industry and recent astrochemistry research presented at the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy (ISMS). In an interview, Janam Pandya of Thermo Fisher Scientific discussed why real-time molecular analyzers are becoming increasingly valuable across the oil and gas value chain. Meanwhile, Miguel Sanz-Novo of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics shared insights into his research on complex organic molecules in space and their potential role in understanding the chemical origins of life.

This is the Best of the Week.

First up, how are Raman, infrared (IR), and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy evolving? We spoke with Janam Pandya, a Product Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific, who sees these technologies not as competitors, but as complementary tools. He predicted that the annual market growth for these technologies will be 5–12% percent over the next five years.¹ Raman spectroscopy delivers detailed molecular specificity, NIR spectroscopy excels at bulk composition and moisture analysis, and MIR spectroscopy provides fundamental vibrational information.¹ Together, they enable real-time process monitoring and faster decision-making across industries.

In a follow-up conversation, Pandya dove into how molecular analyzers are driving digitalization in the oil and gas industry. He explained that the real power of process analytical technologies lies in enabling immediate process adjustments, not just generating data.² Raman analyzers can feed quantitative measurements directly into central control systems to automate corrective actions.²

As part of our coverage from ISMS 2026, we sat down with Miguel Sanz-Novo, an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. He shared his research on complex organic molecules in star-forming regions, including the detection of glycolamide, which is a molecule tied to amino acid chemistry, and dimethyl sulfide in interstellar space.³ That second discovery is particularly striking: it shows dimethyl sulfide can form abiotically, which challenges its use as a reliable biosignature for extraterrestrial life.³

And finally, we released another episode of “Pathways in Spectroscopy” career pathways in spectroscopy and the latest trends in molecular spectroscopy.^4,5

That's your Best of the Week. Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next week.

References

1. Pandya, J.; Wetzel, W. How Are Raman, Infrared, and Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy Evolving Competitively? Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/how-are-raman-infrared-and-mid-infrared-spectroscopy-evolving-competitively- (Accessed June 25^th, 2026).
2. Pandya, J.; Wetzel, W. How Do Molecular Analyzers Fit Into Digitalization and Closed-Loop Process Control? Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/how-do-molecular-analyzers-fit-into-digitalization-and-closed-loop-process-control- (Accessed June 25^th, 2026).
3. Sanz-Novo, M.; Wetzel, W. Investigating the Fundamental Building Blocks of Life. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/investigating-the-fundamental-building-blocks-of-life Accessed June 25^th, 2026).
4. Ferguson, J.; Wetzel, W. Pathways in Spectroscopy: How to Succeed as an Applications Manager. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/pathways-in-spectroscopy-how-to-succeed-as-an-applications-manager (Accessed June 25^th, 2026).
5. Wetzel, W. Advancing the Frontiers of Molecular Spectroscopy. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/advancing-the-frontiers-of-molecular-spectroscopy (Accessed June 25^th, 2026).