The Spectroscopy Newsletter: 2024 Retrospective
Looking back on 12 months of spec-tacular research
James Strachan | | 13 min read
The Spectroscopy Newsletter collates the fortnight’s research discoveries and delivers them to your inbox – in a 5-minute read. You can sign up here.
Below, we round up a selection of some of the most striking, significant, and even strange stories we’ve curated over the past year.
January
(Nano)Plastic not fantastic. Nanoplastics continue to evade scientists due to a lack of effective analytical technique – both in terms of nano-level sensitivity and the plastic-identifying specificity. However, a research team led by scientists at Columbia University may have a solution… Using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, the team were able to detect around 240,000 microplastic fragments – 90 percent of which were nanoplastics – per liter of bottled water. “This is orders of magnitude more than the microplastic abundance reported previously in bottled water,” said the authors.
What lies beneath. We’ve all seen plastic litter washing up on beaches or floating atop rivers, but how much plastic lies at the bottom of lakes? Well, we don’t really know because surveys are few and far between. “I think that’s a real issue, because when we think about how plastics may be moving in freshwater systems, there's a good chance that they'll end up in a lake,” said Monica Arienzo, a lead author of a study surveying Lake Tahoe’s (USA) lakebed. In the study, scuba divers collected litter from a lakebed – counting 673 plastic items. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize the plastic polymers – data that the researchers believe can be used in conjunction with microplastics data to determine their source.
The Spectacular and Strange: Octopus-Inspired Camouflage
With their blue blood, three hearts, and regenerative and tool-using abilities, octopuses are arguably the strangest – and most spectacular – animals on the planet. And they’re also inspiring new technology platforms… Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, USA, drew inspiration from the unique blue rings of the Hapalochlaena lunulata octopus – which can camouflage itself by changing the size and color of the patterns on its skin – to develop a camouflage system with tunable spectroscopic and fluorescent properties.
"For this project, we worked to mimic the octopus' natural abilities with devices from unique materials we synthesized in our laboratory, and the result is an octopus-inspired deception and signaling system that is straightforward to fabricate, functions for a long time when operated continuously, and can even repair itself when damaged,” said senior co-author Alon Gorodetsky. The researchers characterized the materials using a combination of NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Find out more here.
February
Finding nanoplastics. Researchers from Texas A&M University and the University of Notre Dame collaborated to examine plastic nanoparticles in water samples obtained from two open oceans with shrinking surface bubble deposition (SSBD). The technique was originally developed for DNA analysis combining electron microscopy and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and repurposed for this study to enable nanoplastic size and morphology determination – a measure that current techniques, such as gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy, cannot provide.
The team discovered nanoplastics made of nylon, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate. “The nanoplastics we found in the ocean were distinctively different from laboratory-synthesized ones,” said corresponding author Tengfei Luo in a press release. “Understanding the shape and chemistry of the actual nanoplastics is an essential first step in determining their toxicity and devising ways to mitigate it.” Now, the scientists are hopeful their study will help design and conduct more accurate toxicity studies.
The Spectacular and Strange: Forecasting Rocks
The UK weather forecast on February 28, 2021, was meteorite showers! And with over a thousand eyewitnesses present, the Winchcombe meteorite became the most widely recorded carbonaceous chondrite fall to date.
Fast forward to 2024, and a research team from Germany and the UK decided to analyze the meteorite aiming to characterize its organic composition – potentially revealing details about the key elements involved in the delivery of prebiotic molecules to the early Earth.
Employing high-spatial resolution spectroscopy techniques – to minimize processing of the sample – the researchers identified nitrogen-containing compounds, such as amino acids and N-heterocycles. The authors concluded that the extraterrestrial amino acid found in Winchcombe has also been detected in Ryugu – a key asteroid which was most recently analyzed by Timothy Glotch.
March
Monitoring childhood obesity. What biochemical changes are associated with childhood obesity? Researchers from the Gaziantep University of Science and Technology, Turkey, used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to analyze and compare serum samples from obese and healthy children. In the childhood obesity group, they found an increase in insulin, glucose, LDL, cholesterol, and triglycerides, with a decrease in HDL levels, and structural changes in proteins and lipids – suggesting potential disruptions in cellular transport and metabolic processes.
“The study’s findings suggest that FTIR spectroscopy can be a promising tool for the early detection and monitoring of obesity-associated chemical and molecular changes in blood, thus aiding in the development of effective treatments and preventive measures,” concluded the authors.
Single-cell analysis – a challenger appears. A VIBRANT profiling method also caught our eye in March. Based on vibrational spectroscopy probes, the technique can be tailored for various applications on a single-cell analysis level. The authors even compared their new spectroscopic approach with other analytical methods (Table 2) – suggesting that their technology is a more cost-effective and simpler alternative to mass spec-based analysis of large-scale single-cell drug responses.
April
A world first. Researchers have developed the world’s first broadband UV dual-comb spectrometer, which they are using to continually measure air pollutants and observe their reaction with the environment in real time. The team, led by Birgitta Schultze-Bernhardt from the Institute of Experimental Physics at Graz University of Technology, demonstrated the proof of concept by testing formaldehyde.
“With our new spectrometer, formaldehyde emissions in the textile or wood processing industries as well as in cities with increased smog levels can be monitored in real time, thus improving the protection of personnel and the environment,” said Schultze-Bernhardt in a press release.
The Analytical Scientist Presents:
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The Spectacular and Strange: LEGO to the Rescue
Fluorescence interference in Raman spectroscopy is a well-known problem and is especially significant in portable instruments. Raman instrument manufacturers often deploy fluorescence avoidance and/or mitigation methods, but there is no standard method for evaluating the accuracy and repeatability of these schemes.
Richard Crocombe and colleagues have come up with a surprising solution: LEGO blocks. “They have the attractive properties of being very low cost, rugged, non-toxic, easy to transport and store, and appear to be manufactured using a standard process,” wrote the authors.
In the paper, the researchers show the Raman spectra of a set of these blocks at different excitation wavelengths, acquired on laboratory instruments, along with their visible–near-infrared spectra.
May
On the CLOCK treatments. Have you ever wondered how your gut microbiome affects your mental health? Well, that’s what prompted researchers from the University of Graz to analyze the serum and stool metabolome of major depression patients – after taking PROVIT probiotics – with nuclear magnetic resonance. Their NMR spectroscopy-based metabolomics analysis suggests an interconnection between gut bacteria and the patients’ molecular clock – affecting CLOCK gene expression, their resulting metabolites, and eventually circadian rhythm. The PROVIT-CLOCK study is the first to showcase such findings, and the authors conclude that “probiotics might be a well-tolerated add-on therapy option in individuals with MDD.”
Ultrafast spec in real-time – for the first time. Ultrafast spectroscopy allows scientists to investigate the temporal evolution of molecular and material properties following excitation with a laser pulse – and is used in many scientific and industrial applications. However, real-time measurements have largely eluded researchers because of the extensive data recording required across the high bandwidth spectrum for each pixel. Enter researchers from Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light. Collaborating with partners in Germany and France, Kilian Scheffter and colleagues successfully employed acoustic waves to expand, for the first time, compressed sensing to real-time spectroscopic measurement. The authors believe their research will “pave the path toward real-time field-resolved fingerprinting and acceleration of advanced spectroscopic techniques.”
June
Is a spectroscopy “pipedream” coming true? “For many, the idea of translating spectroscopy into the clinic remains a pipedream,” said Matt Baker back in 2019. “But the potential is enormous.” Matt called for more clinical trials, as well as more intellectual property and patents supported by new technologies. “Once such steps are fulfilled, translation can begin in earnest, and more people will become interested in the benefits of this field,” he said.
Surprisingly, not one but two new spectroscopy-based clinical diagnostics captured our attention in May: the Sentry System and an electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) spiral sensor – both designed for diagnosis of cancer. What’s so special about them? Well, both claim to discriminate between healthy and cancerous tissue rapidly. The Sentry System – which combines Raman spectroscopy with machine learning – successfully classified between tumorigenic and non cancerous tissues with 97 percent accuracy for brain metastases, and 96 percent for meningiomas in real-time. The spiral sensor on the other hand is based on a printed circuit board (PCB) technology that employs impedance spectroscopy to distinguish between these tissues – in just two minutes!
July
Rapid Raman diagnosis. In July, we picked out a Raman spectroscopy-based test for esophagus cancer that looks set to drastically reduce identification time from a couple weeks to less than a minute. “Early on, we started treating patients with photodynamic therapy, which proved effective for those with early disease, but symptomatic patients were usually too far advanced to see a positive reaction,” says co-author Alex Dudgeon. “Knowing that innovative technology could have a big impact in this area, we set out to develop a technique to improve the identification of early disease.” The technique uses Raman spectroscopy to measure the “fingerprint” of biological molecules present in the sample ahead of advanced statistical methods that help clinicians identify whether the area is cancerous. You can read more about the research – and Alex’ reflections on the implications of his findings – here.
Rapid diagnosis of celiac disease. Continuing with rapid Raman-enabled diagnoses, researchers form Xinjiang University, China, combined plasma Raman spectroscopy with machine learning to rapidly diagnose celiac disease. Despite the fact that the researchers could not find any significant difference between the content of proteins, fatty acids, and phospholipids in the plasma of celiac disease patients and the healthy control group, their deep learning model was able to extract these different features from plasma and accurately diagnose the disease with an accuracy of 92.3 percent. The researchers believe that their test could be used to diagnose celiac disease much earlier than is possible with existing methods, which – when combined with early treatment – can help slow disease progression.
August
Just one drop. Infrared spectroscopy combined with machine learning can provide comprehensive health screening from a single drop of blood, according to new research. The team – from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, and Helmholtz Zentrum München – used Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to analyze 5,184 blood plasma samples from 3,169 individuals. The method could detect molecular fingerprints indicative of various health conditions and distinguish between dyslipidemia, hypertension, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and healthy states. It accurately identified healthy individuals and chronic multimorbid states, and it could also forecast metabolic syndrome years before onset.
“Altogether, this study sets a framework with analytical validity and clinical utility that could reduce and streamline clinical operations, improve sample turnarounds, accelerate time to treatment for a variety of medical conditions, and risk stratify populations,” concluded the authors.
September
Cracking the copper code. Turning carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable chemicals, such as ethylene and ethanol, is a key goal in sustainable energy research, and a new study has uncovered critical insights into how copper-based catalysts can drive this transformation more efficiently. By combining surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and computational modeling, the researchers identified the specific intermediates and active sites on copper surfaces that are responsible for converting CO2 into multi-carbon products – potentially leading to the design of more effective catalysts for industrial applications.
Using SERS, the team observed potential-dependent changes in the formation of CO dimerization and subsequent intermediates, providing real-time insights into the reaction process. Read the full writeup here!
October
SERS chip diagnoses heart attacks in five minutes. A new blood test can diagnose heart attacks in five to seven minutes using a plasmonic metasurface and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). This test – which you can read more about here – developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, significantly faster than current methods that can take hours, detects key cardiac biomarkers that signal a heart attack, improving the chances for timely medical intervention. "We were able to invent a new technology that can quickly and accurately establish if someone is having a heart attack."
Life found in two-billion-year-old rocks. Living microbial communities have been discovered inside two-billion-year-old rock from the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC) in South Africa – the oldest finding of microbes in ancient rock to date. The research team employed a combination of infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and fluorescent microscopy to confirm microbial cells densely packed into fractures, sealed off from the external environment by clay minerals.
How siRNA mixing shapes gene therapy success. A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-guided approach has revealed how different methods of mixing small interfering RNA (siRNA) with lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) can significantly impact their molecular structure and gene-silencing efficiency.
November
Hydrogen boon. Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) is a method that has previously been acclaimed for its ability to detect various gasses through measurement the amount of laser light absorbed at specific wavelengths. However, using TDLAS to detect low hydrogen concentrations has proven difficult in the past because of hydrogen’s weak absorption in infrared regions compared with other gasses.
To address this challenge, a team of researchers optimized TDLAS by calibrating laser absorption spectra at varying pressures. A high-pressure gas cell setup facilitated measurements across a broad range – from 0.01 percent to 100 percent hydrogen concentration. “This system can be reliably used for the detection of leakages in hydrogen fuel cell cars,” co-author Tatsuo Shiina commented in a press release.
Our full story on the method is available here, if you’d like to find out more.
Sulfur haze. New insights into how air pollution forms at the molecular level have been uncovered by an international team of researchers who used a combination of spectroscopic techniques to study sulfur dioxide interactions at the boundary between liquid and vapor. Their findings (read more!) reveal significant differences in how sulfur species behave at the liquid-vapor interface and could improve climate models and our understanding of urban air pollution, particularly haze formation.
The Spectacular and Strange: A Gripping Tale
A study from the University of Pennsylvania has revealed the properties of “Rubbing Mud” - a mixture of clay, sand and water used to enhance the texture and handling of baseballs.
Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were conducted to confirm that the mud fills pores on the baseball to increase friction. The team then subsequently ran energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to highlight a high proportion of silicates and clay, such as quartz and mica, that make up the mud’s chemistry. Rheological and tribological tests were also performed to reveal more insights on the mud’s composition and properties.
Click here to find out more!
December
More bang for your buck. A new method has been developed at Oak Ridge Laboratory to optimize nickel catalyst stability during dry reforming of methane (DRM): a means to convert methane and carbon dioxide into a valuable industrial feedstock – known as “synthesis gas” (syngas). The researchers used X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) to demonstrate that increased airflow during synthesis strengthens Ni–silica (Si) interactions, leading to more stable catalytic sites.
“We are developing design principles to stabilize catalysts for a broad range of industrial processes. It requires a fundamental understanding of the implications of synthesis protocols,” said co-lead author Felipe Polo-Garzon in a recent press release. “For industry, that's important because rather than presenting a dead-end road in which you try something, see how it performs, and then decide where to go from there, we're providing an avenue to move forward."
Check out the full story here to find out more.
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