Best of the Week: Inside the Revolution of Atomic Spectroscopy

Atomic spectroscopy is currently going through a new revolution. Instead of new physics, these trends are emerging thanks to new instrumentation and software. Spectroscopy’s associate editorial director, Jerome Workman Jr., explored this revolution in an exclusive feature article published this week. We’ll talk about it. Also, Kevin Wilkinson of the Université de Montréal discussed next steps for his airborne metal pollution research.

This is the Best of the Week.

In his feature article, “Atoms Don’t Lie,” Workman explains how tools are reshaping a long-established field. Tandem inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) now routinely removes spectral interferences, making trace analysis of elements like arsenic and selenium more defensible.¹ Single-particle ICP-MS counts and sizes individual nanoparticles, while laser ablation ICP-MS maps trace elements at micrometer resolution. LIBS has left the laboratory entirely, analyzing rocks on Mars aboard Perseverance and, with machine learning (ML), helping classify tumor tissue.¹ Portable instruments with embedded AI are also bringing laboratory-grade analysis into the field. Over the next five years, Workman expects autonomy, integration, and multiplexed single-particle and single-cell analysis to take center stage.

At SciX, Kevin Wilkinson shared how lead isotope analysis let his team track airborne particles six kilometers from their source. Next, he suggests sampling snow at greater distances.² His advice for graduate students? Learn how to learn, question vendor claims, and pick up coding skills like Python to manage massive data sets.

Also at SciX, Amy Colleran of the University of Liverpool presented a simple SERS method for detecting volatile organic compounds. Her team bubbles gas into colloidal silver or gold nanoparticles while a portable Raman spectrometer records in real time.³ She sees uses in aroma, environmental, and breath analysis, though quantitation and selectivity still need work.³

Finally, our SciX recap highlights how spectroscopy is moving into clinical, industrial, and environmental practice, from AI-assisted Raman diagnostics to single-molecule vibrational imaging.⁴

References

1. Workman, J., Jr. Atoms Don't Lie: Inside the Quiet Revolution Remaking Atomic Spectroscopy. Spectroscopy Online, 2026. https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/atoms-dont-lie-inside-the-quiet-revolution-remaking-atomic-spectroscopy (accessed October 28, 2026).
2. Wilkinson, K.; Workman, J., Jr.; Wetzel, W. Learning How to Learn. Spectroscopy Online, 2026. https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/learning-how-to-learn (accessed October 28, 2026).
3. Colleran, A. Detecting Volatile Compounds with Colloidal Nanoparticles and Portable Raman Spectroscopy. Spectroscopy Online, 2026. https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/detecting-volatile-compounds-with-colloidal-nanoparticles-and-portable-raman-spectroscopy (accessed October 28, 2026).
4. Wetzel, W.; Spectroscopy Staff. What Were Some of the Key Topics Discussed at SciX 2026? Spectroscopy Online, 2026. https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/what-were-some-of-the-key-topics-discussed-at-scix-2026 (accessed October 28, 2026).