Why Current Tests for Assessing Drug Induced Liver Injury Fall Short

Sian Sloan-Dennison, who is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Strathclyde, recently delivered a talk at the Spring SciX 2026 Conference, which was held from April 14–16 at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.¹ Sloan-Dennison’s talk, which was titled, “Droplets to Diagnosis: Digital Microfluidic SERS Detection of microRNA-122,” described a new platform that could help improve diagnostics for assessing drug induced liver injury (DILI).

In this clip from our conversation with Sloan-Dennison, she discusses the main issues with current diagnostic tests for assessing DILI.

What is the Spring SciX Conference?

Spring SciX 2026 is organized by the Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS). It is a dedicated forum for researchers to discuss advancements in spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS), and emerging sensing technologies.¹

The conference featured 11 technical sessions covering diverse areas such as Raman and infrared spectroscopy, nanomaterials, and biomedical imaging.^1,2 A central theme of the 2026 program was the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into analytical chemistry, highlighted by a new dedicated track.¹ Plenary speakers, including Thomas Bocklitz, Sarah Bohndiek, and Bernard Lendl, discussed how AI-enabled data workflows are accelerating biomedical research and enabling the real-time analysis of complex biological samples.^1,2 Specifically, these AI-based modeling pipelines are designed to increase the sensitivity and robustness of results extracted from imaging and spectral data.²

The important main takeaways from the discussions included a strong consensus on the need for standardized data formats and metadata to ensure data integrity and reproducibility across the field.² However, participants also debated the most effective ways to balance AI's robustness and efficiency with the need for transparency.²

In addition to technical exchange, Spring SciX 2026 prioritized early-career researchers by offering career mentoring pathways and presentation opportunities. The event also featured strong industry support from gold sponsors like Wasatch Photonics and Renishaw. Looking forward, the FACSS community plans to continue its European expansion, with the next meeting scheduled for Vienna in 2028.

References

1. Wetzel, W.; Spectroscopy Staff. Previewing Spring SciX 2026. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/previewing-spring-scix-2026 (accessed 2026-05-06).
2. Bocklitz, T.; Wetzel, W. The Key Takeaways from Spring SciX 2026. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/the-key-takeaways-from-spring-scix-2026 (accessed 2026-05-06).