News|Articles|May 1, 2026
Influential Spectroscopy Papers: Curated “Top 10” Collections Across Key Applications, Part 1
Author(s)Jerome Workman, Jr.
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Key Takeaways
- Raman platforms (SERS/CRS and multimodal variants) are moving from proof-of-concept toward therapeutic monitoring, chemical-biology imaging, deep-tissue diagnostics, and precision oncology applications.
- FT‑IR growth is being driven by ATR, live-cell measurements, and ML-enabled chemometrics, shifting use from descriptive biochemical profiling to predictive, clinically oriented diagnostics across diverse biofluids and tissues.
This new feature in Spectroscopy introduces a structured, application-focused series that curates and examines the most influential research papers in molecular and atomic spectroscopy. Each installment presents a focused “Top 10” collection of seminal publications within a specific analytical domain, spanning techniques such as ultraviolet–visible, infrared, Raman, near-infrared, and atomic spectroscopy. Across biomedical, biopharmaceutical, environmental, and forensic applications, the selected papers illustrate how spectroscopic methods are applied to real-world analytical challenges. Emphasis is placed on the integration of spectral data with chemometric approaches to enable robust calibration, accurate prediction, and meaningful interpretation. Together, these curated collections provide practitioners with a concise, application-oriented perspective on impactful developments in spectroscopy. This article brings together the first nine “Top 10” collections in the series, offering a cross-disciplinary view of influential work shaping the field.
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Articles in the Series (Part 1)
Biomedical Applications
In the past few years, Raman spectroscopy and its technological modifications—such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), coherent Raman scattering (CRS), and multimodal platforms—have transitioned from proof-of-concept demonstrations to impactful tools in biomedical research. These advances span therapeutic monitoring, chemical biology imaging, deep-tissue diagnostics, precision oncology, and multimodal analytics. This article synthesizes the most influential reviews in these areas, highlighting emerging trends, limitations, and future directions.
Over the past three to four years, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has emerged as one of the most rapidly expanding vibrational techniques in biomedical research. Driven by advances in attenuated total reflectance (ATR), live-cell measurements, chemometrics, and machine learning (ML), FT-IR has moved beyond descriptive biochemical profiling toward predictive diagnostics and translational clinical science. This article highlights and critically summarizes the top 10 most influential peer-reviewed articles published recently on FT-IR applications in tissues, cells, hair, blood, saliva, urine, and exercise physiology, emphasizing analytical innovation, clinical relevance, and future impact.
Near‑infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has emerged as a versatile optical modality in biomedical applications due to its non‑invasive nature, sensitivity to molecular and hemodynamic changes, and compatibility with advanced data analytics. Recent studies have demonstrated its application in liver fibrosis staging, neonatal hemodynamic monitoring, functional neuroimaging for consciousness detection, viral detection in serum, kidney disease diagnostics, and neurodegenerative disorder assessment. Integration with machine learning has significantly enhanced diagnostic performance. This review contextualizes progress from 2024 to 2025, summarizing principles, clinical findings, and future directions.
Biopharmaceutical Applications
Between 2023 and 2026, Raman spectroscopy transitioned from a supportive analytical technique to a central enabling technology in biopharmaceutical analysis and manufacturing. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), automation, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) have expanded Raman’s role from nutrient monitoring to real-time prediction of critical quality attributes (CQAs), inline control of complex bioprocesses, and non-destructive analysis of finished drug products. This article reviews ten of the most influential publications from this period, highlighting how they collectively reshaped expectations for Raman spectroscopy as a process analytical technology (PAT) and a quality-by-design (QbD) tool in modern biopharmaceutical development.
Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has undergone a notable evolution in biopharmaceutical analysis over the past three years. Advances in crystal engineering, process analytical technology (PAT), chemometrics, machine learning (ML), and hyphenated analytical platforms have significantly expanded FT-IR’s analytical scope. This article reviews ten of the most influential publications from 2023–2026 that exemplify FT-IR’s growing role across the biopharmaceutical lifecycle, from drug substance design and formulation to manufacturing, quality control, and clinical bioanalysis.
During 2025, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has accelerated its transition from a mature analytical technique into a digitally enabled cornerstone of biopharmaceutical manufacturing and quality control. Advances in miniaturized instrumentation, process analytical technology (PAT), chemometrics, artificial intelligence (AI), and real-time process control technologies have driven NIR spectroscopy into new roles spanning upstream fermentation, downstream processing, raw material characterization, and continuous manufacturing. This article reviews and contextualizes ten influential peer-reviewed publications from 2025 that collectively define the current state and near-term trajectory of NIR spectroscopy in biopharmaceutical analysis.
Environmental Applications
Between 2024 and 2026, environmental applications of vibrational spectroscopy advanced rapidly through innovations in multimodal instrumentation (combining 2 or more distinct measurement techniques), spectral data fusion, portable sensing technologies, and the integration of chemometrics and machine learning (ML). Near-infrared (NIR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy were increasingly deployed to address pressing environmental challenges such as microplastics contamination, soil organic matter quantification, indoor air quality monitoring, and pesticide residue detection in food and ecological systems. This article reviews 10 influential peer-reviewed papers published during this period, providing expanded narrative discussions of their technical contributions and explaining why each paper represents a significant impact on the field.
The 2024-2026 period has been marked by rapid methodological innovation and critical reassessment of established atomic spectrometric techniques in environmental analysis. Advances in inductively coupled plasma–tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) reaction-cell chemistry, matrix-effect correction in X-ray fluorescence (XRF), microwave-sustained plasma sources, and green preconcentration strategies have expanded analytical capabilities for soils, waters, sediments, plants, and atmospheric particulates. Simultaneously, comparative evaluations of inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and XRF have sharpened our understanding of detection limits, bias, and field applicability. This brief review highlights 10 of the most influential publications shaping environmental applications of XRF, ICP-MS, and ICP-OES during 2024–2026. Each paper is discussed with emphasis on its technical contributions and broader impact on environmental monitoring, regulatory science, and instrumental development.
Forensic Applications
Over the past two years, molecular spectroscopy has undergone a marked transformation from a predominantly laboratory-based analytical approach into a field-deployable, data-rich forensic toolkit. This evolution has been driven by three converging trends: (i) advances in vibrational spectroscopic instrumentation (Fourier transform infrared [FT-IR], Raman, and near-infrared [NIR], (ii) the integration of chemometrics and machine learning for extracting actionable information from complex spectra, and (iii) the emergence of portable and miniaturized devices suitable for in situ analysis. The ten papers reviewed here collectively demonstrate how spectroscopy is now addressing some of the most persistent challenges in forensic science—such as time since deposition (TSD), post-mortem interval (PMI), trace evidence discrimination, and rapid drug identification—while maintaining evidentiary integrity through non-destructive analysis. Importantly, these works also reflect a shift toward interpretability, validation, and legal defensibility, which are essential for courtroom acceptance.
Future Planned Articles
The 10 Most Influential Articles in Spectroscopy Series continues to expand with an exciting lineup of future articles designed to highlight the most impactful and forward-looking applications of spectroscopic science. Currently in development are in-depth explorations of atomic spectroscopy in forensic analysis, where elemental signatures play a critical role in evidence identification and legal investigations, as well as materials science analysis, showcasing how spectroscopy drives innovation in advanced materials and nanotechnology. Additional articles will examine food and agricultural analysis, emphasizing quality control, authenticity, and safety, alongside the long-pursued challenge of non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, a transformative goal in medical diagnostics. Rounding out the series will be a focused look at cancer diagnostics, where spectroscopic techniques are enabling earlier detection and more precise characterization of disease. Together, these upcoming contributions aim to provide readers with authoritative insights into the diverse and evolving real-world impact of spectroscopy across science, industry, and healthcare.
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