Best of the Week: AI in Analytical Chemistry, Strock Award

This week, Spectroscopy published a variety of articles on the hottest topics in analytical spectroscopy. These news articles cover various industries and a wide range of spectroscopic techniques. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the most popular articles, according to our readers and subscribers. Happy reading!

Quantifying Platinum Binding on Protein-Functionalized Magnetic Microparticles with Single Particle-ICP-TOF-MS: An Interview with Strock Award Recipient Benjamin T. Menard

This week, Spectroscopy Magazine published an interview with Benjamin T. Manard of the Chemical Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Manard was this year’s recipient of the Lester W. Strock Award, which he will receive at the SciX Conference this October, which takes place in Raleigh, North Carolina (1). Our conversation with Manard is the first of many SciX interviews that Spectroscopy is conducting leading up to the conference.

Revolutionizing Analytical Chemistry: The AI Breakthrough

Artificial intelligence is taking the spectroscopy field by storm. This study explores AI's advancements, challenges, and future directions in the field, emphasizing its transformative potential and the need for ethical considerations (2). Although it has helped spur advancements in data interpretation and technological innovation, there are several challenges that remain.

Raman Spectroscopy Transforms Cultural Heritage and Forensic Analysis

The editors of Spectroscopy reported on a recent special issue in the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy that explored how Raman spectroscopy is being used in applications involving cultural heritage. The collection of papers in this special issue were categorized into one of the following areas: application of multivariate statistical analysis to Raman spectra, use of mobile instrumentation directly in situ for both cultural and forensic contexts, tackling optics and spectral range issues, and coupling mobile instrumentation with other complementary analytical techniques (3). The papers in this journal demonstrated that by using multivariate statistical analysis, mobile instrumentation, and novel optical techniques, these advancements offer new perspectives for studying cultural heritage and forensic evidence.

Revolutionary SERS Imaging Technique Enhances Pesticide Detection in Crops

A recent study explores how the agriculture industry could benefit from using a new surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technique to detect pesticide residue in crops. Two agricultural pesticides were studied here: organophosphorus-based dimethoate (DIM) and pyrethroid-based cypermethrin (CYP) (4).

Exploring the Relationship Between Ancient Egypt and Spectroscopy: A Look at Recent Studies

Ancient Egypt was a civilization that thrived thousands of years ago before the Roman conquered them in 30 B.C. Currently, there are many ongoing archaeological excavations taking place, which help instruct us on the social, economic, and the political events that took place (5). The finding, and subsequent study, of ancient artifacts tells us so much about what Egyptian society back then was like, offering us valuable insight to the social and political structures that existed back then (5). This week, we compiled a few recent studies to show how spectroscopic techniques are being used to teach us more about Ancient Egypt.

References

(1) Chasse, J. Quantifying Platinum Binding on Protein-Functionalized Magnetic Microparticles with Single Particle-ICP-TOF-MS: An Interview with Stock Award Recipient Benjamin T. Menard. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/quantifying-platinum-binding-on-protein-functionalized-magnetic-microparticles-with-single-particle-icp-tof-ms-an-interview-with-stock-award-recipient-benjamin-t-menard (accessed 2024-07-11).

(2) Workman, Jr., J. Revolutionizing Analytical Chemistry: The AI Breakthrough. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/revolutionizing-analytical-chemistry-the-ai-breakthrough (accessed 2024-07-11).

(3) Workman, Jr., J. Raman Spectroscopy Transforms Cultural Heritage and Forensic Analysis. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/raman-spectroscopy-transforms-cultural-heritage-and-forensic-analysis (accessed 2024-07-11).

(4) Wetzel, W. Revolutionary SERS Imaging Technique Enhances Pesticide Detection in Crops. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/revolutionary-sers-imaging-technique-enhances-pesticide-detection-in-crops (accessed 2024-07-11).

(5) Wetzel, W. Exploring the Relationship Between Ancient Egypt and Spectroscopy: A Look at Recent Studies. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/exploring-the-relationship-between-ancient-egypt-and-spectroscopy-a-look-at-recent-studies (accessed 2024-07-11).