Automation of Sample Preparation for Genomics

Research on plastics in aquatic environments is well-established, but little is known about their presence, pathways, and effects in soil ecosystems. The iMulch project aims to address this need as well as the growing concern of plastic pollution in soils. Focusing on developing and validating methods to detect micro- and macroplastics in soils and drainage waters, with an emphasis on how drainage water impacts municipal wastewater treatment, a key aspect of the study is analyzing plastic emissions from agricultural mulch films. We spoke to Carmen Wolf of the Institute for Environment and Energy, Technology and Analytics e.V. (IUTA) in Duisburg, Germany, corresponding author of a recent paper on the project, about the investigations involved and how separation science was used in their experimentation.

As PFAS contamination spreads across the environment, advanced screening and characterization techniques are crucial for detection and risk assessment. This e-book explores cutting-edge analytical methods for identifying PFAS in environmental and biological samples.

From June 12–13, 2025, the 3rd Advances in Separation Science Workshop will take take place in Gembloux, Belgium.

Here's a taster of what to look forward to at the 54th International Symposium on High Performance Liquid Phase Separations and Related Techniques (HPLC 2025), which will be held from Sunday through Thursday, 15–19 June, 2025, in Bruges, Belgium.