Gerstel and Spark Holland Enter Agreement
Spark Holland B.V. (VE Emmen, Netherlands) and Gerstel GmbH & Co. KG (M?lheim an der Ruhr, Germany) have entered into an agreement based on Spark's patented dried blood spot (DBS) technology.
Spark Holland B.V. (VE Emmen, Netherlands) and Gerstel GmbH & Co. KG (Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany) have entered into an agreement based on Spark’s patented dried blood spot (DBS) technology. The agreement includes the use of Spark’s FTD technology and the Spark DBS autosampler, allowing Gerstel to develop and market fully integrated automated DBS systems.
Spark Holland is a supplier of front-end ultra high performance liquid chromatography and on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) instruments, specializing in the field of autosampling and on-line SPE and, more recently, on-line DBS analysis. Gerstel is an international company focused on developing and producing automated systems and solutions for chemical analysis, providing accessories or complete systems with integrated software control. Gerstel’s main focus is on automated sample preparation for gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The company has been using Spark’s SPE technology in its customer-focused solutions for more than two years.
Applications of Micro X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy in Food and Agricultural Products
January 25th 2025In recent years, advances in X-ray optics and detectors have enabled the commercialization of laboratory μXRF spectrometers with spot sizes of ~3 to 30 μm that are suitable for routine imaging of element localization, which was previously only available with scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS). This new technique opens a variety of new μXRF applications in the food and agricultural sciences, which have the potential to provide researchers with valuable data that can enhance food safety, improve product consistency, and refine our understanding of the mechanisms of elemental uptake and homeostasis in agricultural crops. This month’s column takes a more detailed look at some of those application areas.
The Big Review IV: Hydrocarbons
January 25th 2025In the fourth installment of our review of infrared spectral interpretation, we will discuss the spectroscopy of hydrocarbons. We will look at the stretching and bending vibrations of methyl (CH3) and methylene (CH2) groups, how to distinguish them, and how to know whether one or both of these functional groups are present in a sample. We will also discuss aromatic hydrocarbons, specifically the C-H stretching and bending peaks of mono- and disubstituted benzene rings, and how to distinguish them.
The Essentials of Analytical Spectroscopy: Theory and Applications
January 23rd 2025This excerpt from The Concise Handbook of Analytical Spectroscopy, which spans five volumes, serves as a comprehensive reference, detailing the theory, instrumentation, sampling methods, experimental design, and data analysis techniques for each spectroscopic region.
