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Scientists at the University of Warwick have developed a computation which simultaneously doubles the resolution, sensitivity and mass accuracy of Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (FT-MS) at no extra cost.

Read more: Warwick researchers solve 40-year-old FT-MS phasing problem

In the chemical industry, heterogeneous catalysis is vital for the manufacture of basic or fine chemicals, in catalytic converters of exhaust gas and for the chemical storage of solar energy. A new infrared spectroscopy method can study processes at surfaces of oxides used as catalysts.

Read more: IR spectroscopy detects that oxygen defects act as active centres

Starfruit-shaped gold nanorods could enhance surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) by a factor of 25 compared to similar smooth nanorods.

Read more: Starfruit-shaped nanorods enhance SERS

Medical applications of NIR spectroscopy are covered in this major special issue of JNIRS—Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy.

 

Read more: Exploring the body using light

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New research by scientists at the University of Bristol has challenged one of the key beliefs in chemistry: that proteins are dependent on water to survive and function. The team’s findings could eventually lead to the development of new industrial enzymes.

Read more: CD shows that proteins can refold in the absence of water

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The Pittcon organisers have released the attendance figures for Pittcon 2012. The headline overall attendance is down at 15,754, as was probably expected. These figures are always an excuse for much discussion amongst hardened Pittcon visitors. To me, the interesting point is the relative changes between conferees and exhibitors.

Read more: Pittcon 2012 attendance

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Researchers from Purdue University in the USA have created a new imaging technology based on Raman spectroscopy that reveals subtle changes in breast tissue, representing a potential tool to determine a woman's risk of developing breast cancer and to study ways of preventing the disease.

Read more: Raman imaging of breast cancer cells

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The ALPHA collaboration at CERN in Geneva has performed the first-ever spectroscopic measurements of the internal state of the antihydrogen atom.

Read more: The First Spectroscopic Measurement of an Anti-Atom

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A new, single-step method of fabricating microcapsules, which have potential commercial applications as a substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and in industries including medicine, agriculture and diagnostics, has been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK. Their have been published in Science titled “One-Step Fabrication of Supramolecular Microcapsules from Microfluidic Droplets”.

Read more: SERS may benefit from new, single-step method of fabricating microcapsules

Archaeologists examining late period Mayan containers have identified nicotine traces from a codex-style flask, revealing the first physical evidence of tobacco use by ancient Mayans. The study published in Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry reveals the flask is marked with Mayan hieroglyphics reading, “y-otoot ’u-may” (“the home of its/his/her tobacco”), making it only the second case to confirm that the text on the exterior of a Mayan vessel corresponds to its ancient use.

Read more: Mass spectrometry detects nicotine in Mayan container