Meet Lidia Montero

Lidia’s research has two main strands: developing advanced analytical platforms, particularly comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC×LC), for highly complex and unknown samples; and combining green extraction, encapsulation, bioactivity assessment, and chemical characterization to valorize underused food biomass through sustainable biorefinery strategies.

“One of the topics I am most passionate about is demonstrating the enormous potential and practical applicability of LC×LC,” she says. Although the technique offers exceptional separation power, it is not yet routinely used in analytical laboratories. Lidia has worked to make it more accessible through practical applications, strategies, and customized configurations. She is especially interested in food authenticity, where LC×LC can generate comprehensive metabolic fingerprints capable of distinguishing premium products from adulterated or lower-value alternatives.

“Without any doubt,” AI will have the greatest influence on analytical science over the coming decade, says Lidia. But realizing that potential will require new skills and better data. “There is a significant gap between our traditional expertise and the computational skills required to effectively implement AI-driven approaches.” She calls for closer collaboration between analytical scientists and computational experts, more accessible AI tools, and greater standardization of analytical data.

Lidia also questions the emphasis placed on ever-shorter methods. “Analytical speed should not become an objective,” she says. Rapid methods are valuable for targeted contaminant testing and routine control, but they cannot always provide the depth required to understand a complex sample. “When the objective is to obtain the maximum information, longer analysis times, extended gradients, long columns, and multidimensional techniques may be necessary to reveal chemical information that would otherwise remain hidden.”

LC×LC has shaped Lidia’s career since she joined the Foodomics Laboratory in 2011, working with Miguel Herrero and Elena Ibañez on food quality and authenticity. A five-year postdoctoral period with Oliver Schmitz at the University of Duisburg-Essen later contributed to advances in two-dimensional LC data processing and instrument configuration.

Outside science, karate has been a constant since childhood. “It has taught me discipline, commitment, perseverance, and how to perform under stress and pressure,” she says. “Karate has been one of my greatest masters.”