Best of the Week: Implementing SERS in Clinical Settings, How Lasers Became Valuable Tools in Spectroscopy

Welcome to Best of the Week from Spectroscopy. Here's a look at what we published this week.

First, we continue our deep dive into surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, or SERS, with practical advice for researchers developing SERS assays. In a clip from our “Pathways in Spectroscopy” series, Sian Sloan-Dennison, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Strathclyde, stresses that researchers need to define early on how their assay will actually be used, whether for early diagnostics or patient self-testing, because that shapes everything from assay design to storage requirements. She also highlights that developing assays stable at room temperature is essential for real-world clinical adoption.

Next, we look at where digital microfluidics (DMF)-SERS could fit into clinical settings. At the 2026 Spring SciX Conference at the University of Exeter, Sloan-Dennison presented a new digital microfluidics SERS platform aimed at improving diagnostics for drug-induced liver injury. Her team developed an assay targeting microRNA-122, a liver-specific biomarker, and paired it with a portable Raman spectrometer. Sloan-Dennison presented at the conference how their analytical method achieved a roughly 100-fold greater sensitivity, which shows real promise for rapid point-of-care testing.

We also highlight our recap of the May "What's Nu" newsletter, which traces the history of lasers in spectroscopy from theoretical concept to essential tool. This newsletter segment touches on advances in chemometrics and the importance of hands-on analyst training.

Rounding out the week, two new sensors caught our attention. Researchers at Hebei University developed a fluorescent probe that monitors heavy metal stress in plant cells in real time. And another team at Zhejiang Gongshang University created a fiber-optic ammonia sensor capable of detecting concentrations as low as 7.5 parts per billion, which is a major step forward for environmental monitoring.

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

References

1. Sloan-Dennison, S.; Wetzel, W. Practical Advice for Researchers Working with SERS Assays. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/practical-advice-for-researchers-working-with-sers-assays (accessed 2026-06-04).
2. Sloan-Dennison, S.; Wetzel, W. Where Can DMF-SERS Be Implemented in Clinical Settings? Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/where-can-dmf-sers-be-implemented-in-clinical-settings- (accessed 2026-06-04).
3. Wetzel, W. Highlights from “What’s Nu” May 2026. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/highlights-from-what-s-nu-may-2026 (accessed 2026-06-04).
4. Wetzel, W.; Spectroscopy Staff. New Fluorescent Probe Enables Real-Time Imaging of Heavy Metal Stress in Plants. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/new-fluorescent-probe-enables-real-time-imaging-of-heavy-metal-stress-in-plants (accessed 2026-06-04).
5. Wetzel, W.; Spectroscopy Staff. New Fiber-Optic Sensor Detects Ammonia at Parts-Per-Billion Levels. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/new-fiber-optic-sensor-detects-ammonia-at-parts-per-billion-levels (accessed 2026-06-04).