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Researchers investigating the relationship between cannabis use during pregnancy and depressive symptoms—and whether continued use beyond the first trimester or higher levels of use were linked to increased symptoms—used liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to confirm the presence of 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) in urine samples.

Valladolid University © demachy - stock.adobe.com

University of Valladolid scientists used a miniaturized method for analyzing biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted by tree species, using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC–QTOF-MS) has been developed.

A combination of liquid chromatography ion mobility spectrometry, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC–IMS-HRMS) for non-targeted analysis (NTA) was used to detect and identify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in alligator plasma.

A joint study conducted by the University of Ferrara (Italy) and the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (Rome, Italy) focused on the analysis of terpenes and terpenoids—key bioactive compounds responsible for the distinctive flavor and potential therapeutic effects of cannabis. For this study, the research team used comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC×GC-MS) coupled with dynamic headspace extraction (DHS) to profile these compounds in cannabis inflorescences. LCGC International spoke to Flavio A. Franchina of the University of Ferrara, corresponding author of the paper which resulted from this study, about their research.

Downtown Baltimore city skyline , cityscape in Maryland USA | Image Credit: © f11photo - stock.adobe.com

The American Society for Mass Spectrometry has announced its award winners for 2025, including Jack Henion of Cornell University and Vilmos Kertesz of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In the final part of this interview, Ralph Mead and his group at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, discuss the biggest challenges in mitigating the effects of PFAS right now. Here’s the final part of our conversation with the Mead Group at UNC Wilmington.

Researchers evaluated the associations between serum lipidomic profile and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis (SCA) in type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D) diabetes, as well as in non-diabetic controls. Lipidomic analysis was conducted using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) to identify specific lipid species linked to the presence and severity of SCA across the three groups.

In part 5 of this interview, Ralph Mead and his group at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington talk about climate change and how it impacts carbon fluxes, describing the role of PFAS in these environments.

Oliver Jones and Navneet Singh from RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia discuss a recent study they conducted to investigate the relationship between tidal cycles and PFAS concentrations in estuarine systems, and offer practical advice on the sample preparation and LC–MS/MS techniques they used to achieve the best results.

Researchers conducted a study on medications used in psychiatry and neurology during the perinatal period, assessing how antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) affect placental functions, including transport mechanisms, nutrient transport, and trophoblast differentiation. Several quantitative methods, such as those for antianxiety and hypnotic drugs, were established to evaluate the safety of pharmacotherapy during breastfeeding using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS).

Researchers from the Department of Chemistry at Western Illinois University (Macomb, Illinois) conducted a study to optimize the separation of 18 cannabinoids for potency testing of hemp-based products, using liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (LC–DAD). As part of our monthlong series of articles pertaining to National Cannabis Awareness Month, LCGC International spoke to Liguo Song, the corresponding author of the paper stemming from this research, to discuss the study and its findings.