In a preview to the upcoming SciX Conference October 20 to 25 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Spectroscopy sat down with Nick Stone of the University of Exeter to discuss his recent work in oncology and clinical analysis.
The Charles Mann Award is an annual award given to an individual who has made significant contributions to applied Raman spectroscopy (1). At the SciX 2024 Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Charles Mann Award for Applied Raman Spectroscopy will be presented to Nick Stone.
Nick Stone, a former National Health Service (NHS) Consultant Medical Physicist, is a Professor of Biomedical Imaging and Biosensing at the University of Exeter. He pioneered Raman spectroscopy in various cancers, collaborating with clinicians to develop real-time diagnostic tools (1). His work includes endoscopic Raman for early cancer detection, smart Raman needles, and non-invasive techniques like spatially offset Raman for probing buried lesions (1). He has also led advancements in surface enhanced spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SESORS), a technique using functionalized nanoparticles for deep-tissue imaging (1).
In a recent collaborative research effort, Stone and others examined the challenge of transferring Raman spectroscopy data across different clinical centers for consistent cancer diagnoses. Researchers investigated the transferability of Raman spectra collected from human esophageal tissue at three different centers, each using the same make and model of spectrometer (2,3). By adhering to a common protocol, 61 tissue samples from 51 patients were classified into five pathologies (2). The study found no significant variation in model accuracy or log-loss when data from one center were applied to others. Importantly, no additional computational correction was needed, suggesting that system transferability can be achieved without complex data pre-processing (2).
In part 1 of our conversation with Nick Stone, he answers the following questions:
This interview is part of our annual SciX Conference coverage. To read more of our coverage leading up to the SciX 2024 conference, click here: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/conferences/scix
(1) FACSS, Charles Mann Award for Applied Raman Spectroscopy. SciX Conference. Available at: https://scixconference.org/CHARLES-MANN-AWARD/ (accessed 2024-09-26).
(2) Blake, N.; Gaifulina, R.; Isabelle, M.; et al. System Transferability of Raman-based Oesophageal Tissue Classification Using Modern Machine Learning to Support Multi-Centre Clinical Diagnostics. BJC Rep. 2024, 2, 52. DOI: 10.1038/s44276-024-00080-8
(3) Chasse, J. Raman-Based Oesophageal Tissue Classification and Modern Machine Learning in the Support of Multi-Center Clinical Diagnostics: An Interview with 2024 Charles Mann Award Winner Nick Stone. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/raman-based-oesophageal-tissue-classification-and-modern-machine-learning-in-the-support-of-multi-center-clinical-diagnostics-an-interview-with-2024-charles-mann-award-winner-nick-stone (accessed 2024-09-16).
Fluorescence Emission and Raman Spectroscopy Offer Greater Insight into Poultry Meat Quality
June 19th 2025Researchers from the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) in Catalunya, Spain used fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy to explore complex tissue changes behind wooden breast myopathy in chickens.
Pet Food in the United Arab Emirates: An Interview with Lucy Semerjian
June 18th 2025A recent study conducted in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis examined the concentrations of ten metals in 52 commercially available wet and dry cat food samples, assessing their compliance with U.S. and European pet food safety standards. The lead author of this study, Lucy Semerjian, recently sat down with Spectroscopy to discuss the findings of her study.
Nanometer-Scale Studies Using Tip Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
February 8th 2013Volker Deckert, the winner of the 2013 Charles Mann Award, is advancing the use of tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) to push the lateral resolution of vibrational spectroscopy well below the Abbe limit, to achieve single-molecule sensitivity. Because the tip can be moved with sub-nanometer precision, structural information with unmatched spatial resolution can be achieved without the need of specific labels.
Rigaku Releases Updated Handheld Raman Analyzer for Chemical Threat Detection
June 17th 2025In an announcement on June 12, Rigaku Analytical Devices, which is a division of Rigaku Holdings Corporation headquartered in Akishima, Tokyo, announced the launch of its Icon series of 1064-nm Raman analyzers, its fourth-generation of the instrument.
New Study Explores Micro-Raman and FT-IR Analysis of Early Human Tools
June 16th 2025Researchers from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the University of Padua have uncovered the earliest direct evidence of Upper Palaeolithic humans deliberately processing the non-edible plant Isatis tinctoria, revealing complex behaviors involving medicinal or dye-related plant use over 32,000 years ago.