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WEEKLY UPDATE /
10 Jan 2025
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Happy New Year!
A new era of precision medicine, the need to detect, monitor, and even remove emerging contaminants, such as PFAS, from our environment, the ongoing resolution revolution opening doors across a plethora of fields… It is certainly an exciting time to be an analytical scientist.
But what roadblocks does the field face? How can we overcome them? And what does the immediate path forward look like?
We recently premiered our “Power List Perspectives on The Future of Analytical Science” video roundtable, featuring three leaders in the field: Ron Heeren, Deirdre Cabooter, and Koen Sandra – who take stock of the current state of analytical science and cast their eyes to the future.
Simply fill in a few short details here to watch the on-demand video.
To whet your appetite, I’ve pulled out a few key quotes from the discussion.
Heeren: “Over the past year, I’ve seen amazing developments in spatial biology and its integration into analytical sciences. If I had to highlight the biggest accomplishment, I’d say it’s the fact that we can now routinely perform single-cell transcriptomics, single-cell proteomics, and single-cell lipidomics.”
Cabooter: “We need to focus on hyphenated techniques – integrating separation with detection and identification. The goal is to not only separate as much as possible but also to detect and identify everything we can within a sample. However, as these techniques improve and generate more data, we’ll face the challenge of managing and interpreting all of it. Generating efficient algorithms will be essential to make sense of the abundance of data these methods will inevitably produce.”
Sandra: “One specific need is for a mass spectrometer capable of measuring in the mega-Dalton range; having such a tool could reveal whether mRNA is encapsulated within lipid nanoparticles or if a transgene is present in a viral vector. In an ideal scenario, this same mass spectrometer would also work in the kilo-Dalton and Dalton ranges, enabling it to handle antibody measurements and lipidomics.”
Until next time,
James Strachan, Deputy Editor |
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| WEEKLY SPOTLIGHT |
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The Innovators are Back!
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Our 2024 Innovators are industry leaders in analytical science – AB SCIEX, ACD Labs, Avantes, and TOSOH – showcasing their latest instruments, technologies, and software solutions. |
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Essential Reading
The XCMS-METLIN Story
Gary Siuzdak’s team at Scripps Research did more than just process LC/MS data – they mastered the art of distinguishing signal from noise, uncovering molecular identities hidden in the clutter of raw data. Here, he explains how it all went down.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout the development of XCMS-METLIN, it’s that no innovation happens in isolation. I’ve simply learned to listen and value the ideas of others – especially from brilliant scientists like Colin, Aries, and Winnie. XCMS-METLIN is the culmination of a tremendous team effort.”
Chromatography Free: It’s Closer Than You Think
In an era of increasingly sophisticated ion mobility-mass spectrometers, isn’t it time we jettisoned chromatography altogether? Well, according to Oliver J. Schmitz, it isn’t quite that simple – yet.
“MS can provide remarkable information, but it often fails in reaching these higher levels of identification in complex samples – unless chromatography steps in to bridge the gap.
Therefore, despite its many limitations, chromatography has proven to be indispensable for complex non-target analysis, as it enables the separation and identification of compounds that are difficult or impossible to distinguish using MS alone.” |
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In the News
A Song of Ice and Fire. A study analyzing ancient methane trapped in Antarctic ice cores has revealed a global increase in wildfire activity during periods of abrupt climate change throughout the last Ice Age. These findings highlight the role of wildfires as a significant feature of past rapid climate shifts, known as Dansgaard–Oeschger and Heinrich events.
Transforming Tumor Testing. A recent study highlights the potential of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) modifications as powerful diagnostic tools. The researchers demonstrated that epitranscriptomic fingerprinting – a method based on analyzing rRNA modification patterns – can accurately identify tissue origins and distinguish tumors from normal samples. Using direct RNA sequencing (DRS), they discovered dynamic rRNA modification patterns across tissues, developmental stages, and cancer states. |
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More from The Analytical Scientist
The Planet Protector: Damià Barceló Cullerès
Microplastics, chemically complex vectors for a range of harmful substances, continue to intrigue and concern Damià Barceló Cullerès.
Read the article
Lloyd Smith: How to Succeed in Commercial Innovation
Sell your story, stay alert, be careful who you hire, and focus intensely on execution, says Lloyd Smith (co-founder of Third Wave technologies, which commercialized molecular diagnostic products and went public in 2001).
Read the article
The Climate Conversation: Part Two
In the second part of our interview, Michael Gonsior explores the pressing challenges in carbon cycle research, transformative tools and technologies, as well as analytical glimmers of hope.
Read the article |
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| SPECIAL PROMOTIONS |
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| Targeted Trace Analysis Using GC-MS/MS |
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| Accelerating Discoveries with Lab Automation Technology |
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| The Benefits of Superparamagnetic Silica in Medical Diagnostics |
The BioSeparation Forum is coming to Vienna! Join us on November 27 and hear inspiring presentations on sustainability in Biopharma presented by experts from academia and industry. |
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The Wait Is Over - Find Out Who Won The Innovation Awards
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The winners are in... Find out what technologies, software and instruments made the cut. |
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