Lab Analysis review: new technology makes even more advanced research possible

Exchanging knowledge about the latest analysis techniques in the lab world is what LabAnalyse is known for year after year. This edition of LabAnalyse was organized entirely virtually due to the corona pandemic, but the content of the webinars was all the more interesting.

The kick-off on Tuesday was for Jean-François Focant from the University of Liège. He talked about the latest developments in the field of volatolomics, a branch of chemistry that studies volatile organic compounds from a biological system. New instruments and techniques make it easier to identify biomarkers.

Merck's Derrell Johnson delved into the world of reference materials. He outlined the various types of reference materials, the ISO standards that apply and the properties of certain categories. That reference materials play an important role in meteorology became abundantly clear during Johnson's presentation.

Jo D'herde, who works at PerkinElmer, explained on Wednesday how the quality of polymer-based packaging materials can be kept stable by applying infrared spectroscopy using FTIR equipment. The technology has been significantly evaluated against infrared microscopy in the characterization of contaminants in or on plastic packaging materials. D'herder then showed the applicability of infrared imaging.

On the final day, attention was paid to sustainability in the lecture by Kees de Rijke (LabMakelaar). He discussed the concept of a circular economy and emphasized that this model consists of much more than just recycling. In his argument he outlined the various chains that are needed to make a circular model possible as a successor to the current economic model in the Netherlands. He also looked at the issue at a local level, in the lab. For example, he indicated how the lab equipment, power supply and climate control systems can be made circular, although it became clear that there is still a long way to go.

With three days of current topics within the field of lab analysis, the visitors were completely updated. In 2021, LabAnalysis may again take the form of a physical event, but until then, science will continue to develop new analysis techniques at an increasingly rapid pace.