Best of the Week: Pathways in Spectroscopy, Drug Distribution in the Tumor Microenvironment

This week, Spectroscopy published a variety of articles highlighting recent studies in several application areas. Key techniques and application areas highlighted in these articles include laser ablation inductively coupled plasma–time of flight–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOFMS) and artificial intelligence (AI). Happy reading!

Pathways in Spectroscopy, Episode 1: Sarah Theiner on Transitioning from Research to Sales

In the first episode of “Pathways in Spectroscopy,” Sarah Theiner reflects on her transition from academic research to a commercial role in analytical instrumentation. Now a Sales Manager and Application Specialist at Nu Instruments, Theiner discusses how her training as a teaching assistant and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vienna equipped her with the technical depth and problem-solving skills needed for sales (1). Drawing on her experience developing bioimaging workflows and LA-ICP-TOFMS methods, she explains how an academic foundation supports customer engagement, application development, and learning new markets, highlighting how her previous research position helped her adapt to a new career field in spectroscopy (1).

Investigating How Chemoresistance Affects Drug Distribution in the Tumor Microenvironment

In this video segment, Sarah Theiner discusses her previous research conducted at the University of Vienna, exploring how intrinsic chemoresistance influences drug distribution within the tumor microenvironment. She explains how early work using solution-based inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) enabled rapid screening of platinum-based drugs, while advances in high-resolution LA-ICP-TOFMS allowed her team to move beyond simplified cell models (2). By visualizing and quantifying platinum uptake across different cell types, including necrotic regions, Theiner gained deeper insight into why drugs may fail to reach their targets (2). The interview highlights how spatially resolved mass spectrometry (MS) reveals resistance mechanisms in complex biological systems.

Generative Artificial Intelligence in Spectroscopy: Extending the Foundations of Chemometrics

This Pittcon 2026 preview article highlights how generative AI as an emerging extension of chemometrics in analytical spectroscopy. This subject will be the main focus in the James L. Waters Symposium at Pittcon in San Antonio, Texas. Generative AI differs from traditional predictive models by learning how spectroscopic data are formed and how variability arises (3). Drawing on examples from infrared (IR), near-infrared (NIR), Raman spectroscopy, and chromatographic detection, the article explains how approaches such as variational autoencoders, generative adversarial networks, and diffusion models can support calibration development, uncertainty modeling, data augmentation, and spectral interpretation (3). Rather than replacing classical chemometric methods, generative AI is presented as a complementary framework that enhances understanding of complex, multivariate spectroscopic measurements.

Enhancing Isotopic Precision

In this interview segment conducted at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, Ken Marcus, who is a Robert Adger Bowen Professor of Chemistry at Clemson University, discusses how external acquisition systems can significantly improve isotopic precision. Marcus explains how longer ion observation times and the ability to collect multiple transients from a single sample enhance signal-to-noise ratio, resolution, and mass accuracy (4). He notes that larger sample injections enable hundreds or thousands of transients to be averaged, further improving data quality (4). Marcus also reflects on emerging spectroscopic trends to watch in 2026, emphasizing advances that will shape isotope analysis workflows in nuclear forensics and rare earth element (REE) studies (4).

What Does the Future Hold for High-Precision Metal Isotope Analysis?

In this video segment, Anika Retzmann of the University of Calgary looks ahead to emerging applications for high-precision metal isotope analysis in biological systems. She highlights the growing use of stable metal isotopes as tracers and biomarkers to better understand disease mechanisms and physiological dysregulation (5). Retzmann explains that recent advances in isotopic precision are strengthening links between isotopic shifts and underlying biological processes (5). Looking forward, she points to in situ approaches combining isotope analysis with laser ablation for spatially resolved insights, as well as compound-specific metal isotope analysis to probe metal–protein interactions in complex biological systems (5).

References

1. Wetzel, W. Pathways in Spectroscopy, Episode 1: Sarah Theiner on Transitioning from Research to Sales. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/pathways-in-spectroscopy-episode-1-sarah-theiner-on-transitioning-from-research-to-sales (accessed 2026-01-28).
2. Wetzel, W. Investigating How Chemoresistance Affects Drug Distribution in the Tumor Microenvironment. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/investigating-how-chemoresistance-affects-drug-distribution-in-the-tumor-microenvironment (accessed 2026-01-28).
3. Workman, Jr., J. Generative Artificial Intelligence in Spectroscopy: Extending the Foundations of Chemometrics. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-spectroscopy-extending-the-foundations-of-chemometrics (accessed 2026-01-28).
4. Wetzel, W. Enhancing Isotopic Precision. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/enhancing-isotopic-precision (accessed 2026-01-28).
5. Wetzel, W. What Does the Future Hold for High-Precision Metal Isotope Analysis? Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/what-does-the-future-hold-for-high-precision-metal-isotope-analysis- (accessed 2026-01-28).