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The future of analytical chemistry
We’re looking ahead to the future of analytical chemistry, from monitoring the planet from satellites, diagnosing cancer quickly and easily from small blood samples, to where the discipline itself is heading. And with a century and half passing since the Society of Public Analysts was founded, what does the future hold for this important role?
How satellite remote sensing is enhancing our understanding of Earth
Instruments in space have studied the planet’s atmosphere and surface, and are now being joined by powerful new ones, finds Andy Extance
Blood biopsies for cancer
Testing small amounts of blood for the presence of disease markers could revolutionise how we detect cancer. Clare Sansom reports
Analysing a chemist’s wish-list
Analytical techniques have come a long way, but what does the future hold? Rachel Brazil asks the experts what they’d like to see
Opinion
Why we need public analysts
As the Association of Public Analysts winds up, Duncan Campbell reflects on the continued importance of the profession
Opinion
Analytical chemistry is never far from the frontiers of science
New and better tools are pushing back boundaries and changing the world
ResearchIn-situ electron microscopy probes how atoms adsorb on surfaces at solid–liquid interfaces
Technique could offer new insight into materials like catalysts, batteries and fuel cells
PodcastInert materials & the Mary Celeste
In this episode, we discuss how to ensure experimental instruments are truly inert, chemistry’s answer to the fate of the Mary Celeste, and hear the latest headlines.
FeatureThe curious case of disappearing polymorphs
From crystallographers’ beards to billion-dollar lawsuits, the phenomenon of disappearing polymorphs has puzzled chemists for decades. Now researchers are finally unravelling the science behind why stable crystal forms suddenly vanish – and discovering how to bring them back
ResearchInside-out peptides are part of a new class of isomerism
Could an overlooked conformational contortion invalidate existing drug patents?
BusinessHow to choose reactor materials and test for compatibility
Merck & Co team describes simple testing strategies and criteria for decision-making
NewsExpect the unexpected: why the chemistry community should pay more attention to ‘inert’ materials
A Japanese team’s discovery that stainless steel ball mills can activate nickel catalysts adds to a growing list of examples where supposedly inert lab equipment plays an unexpected role in chemical reactions
NewsFragmented forensics in England and Wales has led to ‘postcode lottery’ with no fix in sight
Proposed forensics service would take over from individual police forces but is still likely years away
ResearchLiquid metal nanoparticles enable ultrafast fire detection
MXenes and liquid metal nanoparticles create fireproof system that can sound the alarm in seconds
WebinarDriving the future of compliance: digital reference materials transforming regulated analytical testing
Join us 21 April to explore how digital tools and frameworks are transforming regulated analytical testing, compliance and industry-wide adoption
ResearchNear-Earth asteroid samples contain all five nucleobases key to life
Meteorites rich in chemicals used to build nucleic acids may have helped kick-start life on early Earth
WebinarVisualising data for scientific discovery
Turn complex data into clear insight through hands-on learning and expert guidance
FeatureFritz Strassmann: the principled chemist who discovered nuclear fission
Analytical chemist Friedrich Strassmann played a crucial role in discovering nuclear fission with Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner, but his principled opposition to Nazi ideology nearly destroyed his career. His story of scientific rigour and moral courage deserves greater recognition
ResearchFirst half-Möbius molecule made
Twisted structure is an unprecedented case of a compound that becomes aromatic by breaking its own symmetry
OpinionExperimenting with murder
A criminal mastermind made sure their unusual poison attack would be fatal
NewsExplainer: What is epibatidine?
The science behind the dart frog toxin that was allegedly used to kill the Russian politician Alexei Navalny
NewsQuestions over microplastics findings don’t mean we are safe, scientists say
Researchers seek to overcome measurement issues arising from field’s youth, while some criticism has turned into harassment
ResearchFluids used to preserve Charles Darwin’s Galápagos Island specimens probed by Raman spectroscopy
Non-invasive technique enables better care of historic samples
ResearchPrehistoric humans hunted with poisoned arrows thousands of years earlier than thought
Deadly plant alkaloids discovered on 60,000-year-old arrowheads
BusinessPittcon 2026 heads to San Antonio for analytical chemistry showcase
The world’s largest laboratory science conference returns to San Antonio in March 2026, featuring Nobel laureate Frances Arnold as keynote speaker and showcasing cutting-edge analytical instrumentation across five days of technical sessions and networking events.
OpinionAn airborne exposure route for a serious kidney disease
Linking Aristolochia plants to aristolochic acid nephropathy
ResearchShedding light on how photoactive crystals respond in real time
Lauren Hatcher discusses her work developing techniques for time-resolved crystallography
OpinionAn analytical gold mine
How forensic techniques can help trace the origin of illegally sourced gold