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Kevin Schug reviews the increasing presence of artificial intelligence in analytical chemistry.

The Chromatographic Society (ChromSoc) Spring Symposium, The Chromatographic (Analytical) Method Life Cycle (2026): From Cradle to Grave (III), co-organised with the Joint Pharmaceutical Analysis Group (JPAG), will be held at Burlington House (London) from 18–19th May 2026.

In this interview recorded at analytica 2026 in Munich, Giorgia Purcaro discusses how GC‑based hyphenated techniques are reshaping the analysis of complex food samples.

Hans-Gerd Janssen reflects on the importance of the Riva Conference conference to advance his expertise in separation science. He also previews his presentation for the event that explores the benefits of cryomodulated comprehensive GC×GC, which can enhance sensitivity by 10 to 20 times, and explains how the second dimension of a GC×GC system essentially operates as a high-speed GC for food analysis application.

Food is one of the most challenging matrices to analyze in terms of complexity. The panelists explore the role that chromatography plays in food authenticity and food fraud applications to successfully analyze such complex matrices.

The panelists explore how food authenticity is defined in today’s global supply chain, and how that definition has evolved as fraud has become more sophisticated and difficult to detect.

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to perform comprehensive, nontargeted metabolomic profiling on serum samples from adult patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The data establishes LC-MS as a powerful diagnostic tool to help prevent the common misdiagnosis of adult T1D as type 2 diabetes.

The panelists introduce themselves and describe their expertise in separation science and experience in food authenticity and food fraud research.

Following 2025 FDA initiatives to ensure the safety of children's foods, researchers developed a highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to detect eight prohibited acidic and basic synthetic dyes in candies and cereals. Although no unauthorized dyes were found in the analyzed samples, the study demonstrates that robust, routine analytical screening is essential to verify labeling accuracy, maintain regulatory compliance, and protect vulnerable populations.

Headspace-gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) alongside an electronic nose (E-nose) was applied to characterize volatile compounds in ginger slices subjected to hot-air drying (HAD), infrared drying (IRD), and microwave-assisted hot-air drying (MHD). Overall, the dual-platform chromatographic approach effectively connected chemical fingerprints with sensory-relevant attributes, supporting optimized drying strategies for high-quality ginger products.

A recent study explored rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS) as a high-throughput, real-time alternative. By analyzing metabolomic fingerprints from pig neck fat, REIMS was combined with multivariate data analysis and machine learning algorithms to successfully classify pork breeds and accurately detect boar taint in both laboratory and slaughterhouse environments. LCGC International spoke to Lieselot Y. Hemeryck and Lynn Vanhaecke, two of the authors of the paper resulting from this work, and their expert colleague, Vera Plekhova, about the study and their findings.

At analytica 2026, Gert Desmet of Vrije Universiteit Brussel mulls over the ways these next-generation columns deliver environmental or resource-use benefits over conventional packed beds.

Caroline West highlights how advances in SFC instrumentation are driving greener, more versatile analytical workflows across diverse applications.

Few scientists manage to shape not only a research field, but a culture. Carlo Bicchi belongs to that rare category. In this extensive interview, Chiara Cordero speaks to Carlo Bicchi, winner of the 2026 Marcel Golay Award, as they both prepare to present at the 44th ISCC and 21st GC x GC Symposium, which takes place from May 17–22 2026 at the Conference Centre, Riva Del Garda, Italy. In part two, Carlo highlights the importance of genuine understanding of fundamental principles, the value of working "inside the problem", and what younger scientists can learn from attending Riva.

A novel comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC×GC-MS) method has been developed to simultaneously quantify and identify a vast array of sugar compounds in human urine and serum. Utilizing a nonpolar-medium polar column setup, this advanced analytical approach overcomes previous limitations that restricted the simultaneous evaluation of complex sugar profiles to just a few compounds. The validated method successfully achieved absolute quantification for dozens of sugars—including discovering concentrations of several sugars in healthy adults for the very first time—demonstrating its significant potential for advancing future research in human nutrition, health biomarkers, and metabolic pathways.

This week's highlights feature our ongoing discussions on women in chromatography, an interview on the future of HPLC columns from analytica 2026, and cutting-edge applications of mass spectrometry techniques to analyze protein variations, the effects of sleep restriction on serum metabolites, and human scent traces on clothing.

Few scientists manage to shape not only a research field, but a culture. Carlo Bicchi belongs to that rare category. In this extensive interview, Chiara Cordero speaks to Carlo Bicchi, winner of the 2026 Marcel Golay Award as they both prepare to present at the 44th ISCC and 21st GC x GC Symposium, which takes place from May 17–22 2026 at the Conference Centre, Riva Del Garda, Italy. In part one, Carlo discusses pivotal moments in his illustrious career exploring gas chromatography (GC) and praises the influence of “Maestro” Pat Sandra.

While mussels are a vital and economically important food source, their filter-feeding behavior causes them to absorb environmental pollutants. Testing their tissue is challenging due to its high fat and protein content, so researchers successfully applied a QuEChERS-based extraction method coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) to analyze samples.

Caroline West highlights how advances in SFC instrumentation are driving greener, more versatile analytical workflows across diverse applications.

In the final part of this roundtable discussion focused on the experiences, challenges, and contributions of women in chromatography, LCGC International spoke to Amandaa Brewer, Paola Tiedemann, Chelsea Plummer, and Jennifer Field about the responsibilities we all have to shape a more inclusive future.

At analytica 2026, Gert Desmet of Vrije Universiteit Brussel dicusses the key barriers to routine industrial or clinical adoption of these technologies, and how far away widespread use is.

Researchers utilized non-targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to analyze the serum metabolic profiles of elite male water polo athletes before and after an intensive training week. The LC-MS/MS analysis successfully screened 363 metabolites, revealing significant shifts in 33 out of the total metabolites evaluated—specifically those tied to lysine degradation and vitamin B6 metabolism. Ultimately, the study establishes LC-MS/MS as a highly effective analytical tool for monitoring molecular-level metabolic changes, providing valuable baseline data for optimizing athletic training and nutritional programming.

At analytica 2026, Shimadzu Corporation celebrated its 150-year legacy by displaying three new advanced analytical instruments designed to maximize operational efficiency.

Scientists recently compared two methods (LC-MS and nano-ESI-MS) used to analyze the small molecules inside individual cells—a process that helps us understand how cells function and react to their environment. While each method has its pros and cons, a joint study found that LC-MS provides a clearer, more comprehensive picture of the molecules inside the cells. When testing these methods on cells infected with a tuberculosis-like bacteria, LC-MS was significantly better at highlighting the differences between infected and healthy cells. These findings could help improve future research in infectious diseases, clinical diagnostics, and drug discovery.

In the sixth part of this roundtable discussion focused on the experiences, challenges, and contributions of women in chromatography, LCGC International spoke to Amandaa Brewer, Paola Tiedemann, Chelsea Plummer, and Jennifer Field about the skills that can be overlooked for a career in analytical science.

Japanese researchers have developed an accelerated testing method to quickly and accurately determine if harmful chemicals leak from plastic packaging into food. Because real-time testing for long-shelf-life foods takes too much time, the team used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to accelerate the process. By testing sample plastics in various food-simulating liquids, they proved the LC-MS/MS method is reliable.

Researchers utilized untargeted reverse-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (RPLC-MS) to analyze serum metabolite profiles under normal and sleep-restricted conditions. The RPLC-MS analysis successfully identified 90 circulating metabolites—including 14 of microbial origin—and demonstrated that sleep deprivation significantly disrupts the natural rhythmic cycles of these host and microbial compounds. These findings indicate that microbial metabolites detected via RPLC-MS could potentially serve as clinical biomarkers for the various health and metabolic risks associated with sleep loss.

At analytica 2026, Gert Desmet of Vrije Universiteit Brussel compares the main fabrication approaches across micro-pillar arrays, 3D-printed supports, and multi-capillary channel columns, weighing each against factors such as scalability, cost, and the degree of structural control they offer.