There is a strong feeling in the analytical science community that the field does not get the recognition it deserves; that analytical scientists are seen as mere service providers rather than innovators and leaders; that the field struggles to attract talent – and even funding. Yet, as Georgios Theodoridis points out, “analytical laboratories are among the best-funded and most comprehensively staffed.” Moreover, human genome, microbiome, and brain initiatives, had “large components related to tool development and analytical chemistry interwoven throughout,” as Jonathan Sweedler said in 2024.
Perhaps we can unravel this paradox by saying that analytical science could accomplish even more if people were fully aware of what it does, and, perception problems aside, the field is simply too fundamentally important to completely overlook. But given the current economic and political climate, especially uncertainty surrounding research funding – is it?
Our feeling is that we cannot afford complacency – nor is the emphasis on “power” what the field needs in our current moment. That’s why this year’s Leading Voices Edition of the Power List showcases the most compelling and original responses – judged blind by our expert panel – to three existential questions for the field. We hope these perspectives will help forge a path forward for analytical science. Our hypothesis: understanding “the point of analytical science” will help the field “rise to prominence as the keystone of all good science” which will assist today’s analytical scientists to become “tomorrow’s science leaders” – who can in turn advocate for the field from positions of influence.
Explore the essays and discover who made the final Power List 2025 – Leading Voices Edition.
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