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Catharina Capitain and Melanie Schüßler from the Faculty of Geosciences at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany describe a novel approach using matrix-matched semiquantification to investigate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in contaminated soil.

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.

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.

Here is some of the most popular content posted on LCGC International this week.

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.

An automated solid-phase extraction (SPE) method has been developed to detect cyanotoxins in water.

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.

Shimadzu Corporation named as a Nadeshiko Brand for advancing gender equality in the workplace.

In the below video segment, we asked Ralph Mead and his team at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, about the information gaps in understanding the transport of PFAS.

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).

University of Maribor scientists reviewed the techniques used to determine e-liquid and aerosol composition in electronic cigarettes.

Denise Bell, LabVantage Solutions Inc., describes how to utilize an integrated platform of lab informatics solutions to improve laboratory workflows.

In part three of this interview, they discussed the interactions between bacterial communities and replacement PFAS materials. Here's part three of our conversation with the Mead Group at UNC Wilmington.

Click here to access the LCGC International April 2025 Europe PDF in an interactive format.

Click here to access the LCGC International April 2025 North America PDF in an interactive format.

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.

Protecting your network chromatography data system (CDS) data is critical and a service level agreement (SLA) with your IT provider is vital. What should be included? Are SLAs for in-house IT and SaaS (software as a service) similar?

LCGC International spoke to Lauren Lovejoy, principal scientist in the Drug Substance and Product Analysis group at GSK (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), about the advantages of using tandem columns in sequential elution liquid chromatography (SE-LC) to investigate weak acids, neutral compounds, and permanent anions in pharmaceutical applications.

In this installment, we will review the fundamental terminology and data analysis principles in benchtop GC–MS. We will compare the three modes of analysis—full scan, extracted ion chromatograms, and selected ion monitoring—and see how each is used for quantitative and quantitative analysis.

In part 2, Ralph Mead and his team explain the challenges of characterizing and quantifying PFAS in environmental samples.

Here is some of the most popular content posted on LCGC International this week.

The Mead Group at UNC Wilmington studies the occurrence and transport PFAS in wet and dry depositions, tracing their sources to inform regulators. In the first part of our interview, we spoke with Mead and several members of his team about the work they do for the North Carolina PFAS Testing Network and learn more about the network.

Researchers attempted to ascertain the relationship between vitamin D levels in athletes and the structural and functional values of their hearts assessed through electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters. Vitamin D levels were measured using high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS).

Frankincense essential oil is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and therapeutic properties. A recent study investigated the protective effects of the oil in an excision wound model in rats, focusing on oxidative stress reduction, inflammatory cytokine modulation, and caspase-3 regulation; chemical composition of the oil was analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS).

A study in Food Science & Nutrition evaluated the antioxidant and preservative effects of Epilobium angustifolium extract on beef burgers, finding that the extract influenced physicochemical properties, color stability, and lipid oxidation, with higher concentrations showing a prooxidant effect.

Microplastics and nanoplastics have been identified in the lungs of wild birds using laser direct infrared (LDIR) chemical imaging and pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS), in the first multi-species evidence of these plastics in bird lungs.

To honor the conclusion of Women's History Month, we took time to talk with various leading members of Females in Mass Spectrometry (FeMS) about the importance of this month and their time with FeMS.