Communicating Complexity: Katelynn Perrault Uptmor on Making Advanced Chemistry Accessible

At the Eastern Analytical Symposium this year, Katelynn Perrault Uptmor stood before a packed room and posed a question that resonated beyond the walls of the conference center: “What if we were better science communicators?”

It was a fitting challenge from a researcher whose work is as much about expanding technical boundaries as it is about making them accessible.

Perrault Uptmor, an assistant professor of chemistry at William & Mary, has built her career around comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC)—a technique that reveals far more detail in complex chemical mixtures than traditional one-dimensional methods. A recipient of the 2025 EAS Young Investigator Award, she specializes in non-targeted analysis, a strategy aimed at cataloging every compound in a sample rather than focusing on a predetermined few. “It’s like going from finding one object in an ‘I Spy’ book to cataloging the entire page,” she told attendees.

Gas chromatography has long been a staple of analytical chemistry, but its conventional form can falter when faced with highly complex samples. Peaks overlap, dynamic ranges stretch, and critical compounds often hide beneath dominant signals. GC×GC addresses these challenges by adding a second dimension of separation, using two columns with different stationary phases and a modulator that slices and reinjects fractions for further resolution. The result is a contour plot that reveals thousands of compounds in distinct spaces—without extending run times.

This capability has practical consequences. Perrault Uptmor’s work on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted during decomposition has informed forensic recovery operations, where chemical signatures can guide searches for human remains. She has also applied GC×GC to food authenticity studies and environmental monitoring, areas where comprehensive chemical profiling can influence public health and safety.

Her contributions have not gone unnoticed. This year, LCGC International named Perrault Uptmor the 2025 Emerging Leader in Chromatography, for her pioneering work in forensic science, odor analysis, and complex VOC research. Colleagues describe her as a scientist who combines technical rigor with a commitment to accessibility. “Her innovations have broadened the scope of multidimensional chromatography,” said James Grinias of Rowan University in the award announcement.

That accessibility theme runs through her career. In 2022, she introduced an open-access workflow for processing GC×GC data, lowering barriers for labs without expensive software. At William & Mary, she integrates advanced chromatography into undergraduate courses, giving students hands-on experience with techniques that are often reserved for graduate-level research.

“These students aren’t just cleaning glassware,” she said at EAS. “They take ownership of their projects from start to publication.”

Despite its advantages, GC×GC is not yet routine in many laboratories. Cost, training, and perceived complexity remain hurdles. Perrault Uptmor argues that adoption depends on reframing the conversation: emphasizing benefits—higher resolution, faster runs, fewer sample prep steps—rather than technical intimidation. She also sees sustainability as a driver of innovation. Her group is exploring hydrogen as a carrier gas, which not only reduces reliance on helium but also shortens analysis times and lowers energy consumption.

Perrault Uptmor’s research agenda continues to evolve. She plans to expand studies on decomposition odors and VOC analysis in environmental forensics, while maintaining her focus on making advanced tools more accessible. Her dual role—as an innovator in multidimensional chromatography and an advocate for its broader adoption—positions her at a critical juncture for the field.

As she told the EAS audience, analytical chemists are not simply technicians. “We reveal the invisible,” she said. For Perrault Uptmor, that means more than separating compounds—it means breaking down barriers to knowledge, one chromatogram at a time.