Science in Action

Ever bitten into a burger that exploded with smoky chipotle zing, only to later discover it was secretly infused with the ghost pepper's fiery wrath? Welcome to the thrilling world of flavor creation.

The supply of stable quality and production volume for the practical use of carbon nanotubes is critical for the proliferation of this unique group of materials. Read one expert's take on the state of research.

Is there life on the icy moons of the solar system? In the subsurface of Mars? Could be, just don’t expect E.T.

What if you could create a new type of semiconductor that could be more efficient in terms of absorbing the energy of the sun? New materials and configurations help us understand inevitable defects.

Aaron Specht tries to improve public health conditions using X-ray fluorescence and a heavy dose of globetrotting to spot heavy metals in compromised populations.

Two-dimensional materials have the potential to replace Silicon on microprocessors in computers. If we want to replace Silicon with some of these emerging materials, we must understand everything about it and need standard characterization routes for it too. AFM-Raman with TERS is an essential tool.

Plastic airplanes? Nanotechnology makes it possible, with the help of AFM-Raman/TERS instrumentation. Read about how it all comes together.

At the nanoscale, heterogeneous interfaces take on unique properties, adding a layer of complexity that AFM-Raman and TERS can help uncover.

Prof. Shane Snyder talks about wastewater management challenges and how he depends on fluorescence spectroscopy to monitor water quality.

See how X-ray fluorescence allowed researchers to discover the subtle paint formulations that give Van Gogh’s artwork its depth and realism

Humans, through the migration of populations, agricultural practices and fossil fuel consumption have interfered with the natural carbon cycle of the planet, Fluorescence spectroscopy gives us clues as to how those changes will affect our environment.

How researchers use Raman spectroscopy and XRF to analyze paintings of Kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers and female beauties to uncover materials used in the centuries-old Ukiyo-e technique.

Quantum materials ― 2D sandwiches of one atom thick sheets will take us into the next electronics revolution. Read about one researcher’s quest, using a customized microscopy system performing multiple spectroscopies.

Increasingly frequent wildfires and bushfires threaten grape and wine output. Read how fluorescence spectroscopy and A-TEEM technology can quantify smoke taint and yield cost and quality benefits.

See how scientists at Chile’s largest wine maker are using HORIBA’s Aqualog with A-TEEM technology to classify grapes and wines for quality and chemical composition.

Ion transport through cell membranes is at the heart of most biological processes. Matthew Langton of Oxford is finding ways using fluorescence spectroscopy to synthesize molecules to take the place of dysfunctional proteins.

The discovery of a glucose binding molecule could revolutionize diabetes management. Researchers are also working with partners to develop these molecular sensors to release insulin as needed. And the Duetta benchtop spectrofluorometer is at the heart of the discovery.

Read about how fluorescence sensors can be used as biological detectives and also enhance display technology development.

Humic materials are part of a class of compounds called biostimulants that, when applied to plants or agricultural soils, stimulate plant growth and productivity. A-TEEM fluorescence spectroscopy and can quantify the concentration of fulvic acids more efficiently.

Was there life on Mars? If so, will it look anything like it does on Earth? Spectroscopy will lead the investigation.

Yury Gogotsi, Ph.D., is a co-inventor of MXenes (pronounced ‘maxines’). It’s touted as the next evolutionary leap in two-dimensional nanomaterials and materials science in general, and could provide countless benefits like high-power energy storage (think of a car battery charging in a few minutes), metallic electrical conductivity, flexibility and transparency required for wearable technology.

Our planet has posed a baffling puzzle for scientists ―one that contradicts established climate theories and has enormous implications for the future.

The aim of the study was to see if fluorescence spectroscopy, using HORIBA’s proprietary A-TEEM technology, and a novel use of a multivariate algorithm could effectively and economically identify a number of wine samples produced from various regions in Australia.

Michael Gonsior studies dissolved organic materials (DOM) from an environment that scientists believe replicates many of the conditions of ancient Earth ― the majestic hot springs in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park.

Was there life on Mars? We'll soon find out, as the Mars 2020 expedition, which launched on July 30, 2020, will explore an ancient lake bed with XRF for signs of life. It may change our ideas of evolution in the universe.

The proliferation of cheap plastic guns have made recovering sanded-off serial numbers a problem. What works for metal doesn’t for polymers. Raman may have an answer.

Increasing atmospheric CO2 is causing significant warming of the Earth by changing the heat and water balances between the surface and atmosphere.

In a quiet NYC neighborhood, a frustrated artist created forgeries of America’s Modernistic masters. Raman Spectroscopy did him in.

The chairman told him the news. The Nobel Committee chose Kobilka and his mentor, Robert Lefkowitz, M.D., as the 2012 co-recipients of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

The investigators lifted the palm print, and the readable area of that print was tiny - the size the tip of a pinky.

Microplastics pose a problem for our environment, food supply and health. Yet it’s ingrained in our technology and the result of our waste habits.

Microplastics – tiny plastic particles smaller than 5 mm – from that shirt or car tires are seeping into our biosphere. We ingest, inhale and absorb these particles through our skin.

Vaidya and her team are developing methods of advanced water treatment that not only returns the wastewater to a healthy level, but raises the ground water level, and prevents land subsidence and seawater intrusion.

A common accessory - the plastic straw - is contributing to a type of contaminant affecting our ecosystems, not to mention the human food chain.

Microplastics, microscopic bits of manufactured or decayed plastics, are invading our surroundings. Researchers found it in our seas, drinking water, rainwater - and even table salt.

Mourou’s goal was to develop an ultra-short, high-intensity laser pulse without destroying the equipment used to produce it.

Scientists use nanoparticles in a variety of applications, including medicine, pharmaceuticals, electronics, biomaterials, energy production and consumer products.

Miller focused his research on drinking water quality monitoring and management, along with treatment optimization.

Berezin turned his focus to imaging inflammation in the body – and how to locate it. That, he hoped, would eventually lead to the treatment of peripheral neuropathy and chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy in particular.

Alternative light sources are typically used in crime scene investigation and post mortem examinations to identify many forms of evidence.

This is the field of food science. Each food has its own unique food problem. And food scientists are responsible for designing ways to manufacture and preserve the quality and safety of those foods throughout its lifecycle.

“People strive to make devices faster and more energy efficient,” He said. “If we can study the fundamental properties and see if proposed materials would be suitable for these types of applications, it can help people design or make devices.”

Vargas, a Ph.D., is the Lead Scientist for the Analytical and Materials Analysis Laboratories at Birla Carbon. And the Marietta, Georgia-based company’s world revolves around carbon black.

Nuclear fusion is viewed by many as the holy grail of clean, renewable energy.

To most scientists, climate change is real. The challenge is to find more and better energy sources to generate electricity that do not emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Satellite communications, military radar systems and those 5-G networks you will soon depend on have something in common. Scientists base these systems on microelectronics – the design, manufacture, and use of integrated circuits.

A semiconductor manufacturer in the Silicon Valley faced a sizable setback. Something was contaminating its product, and the company halted production. That cost the manufacturer millions of dollars a day.

Large, land-based gas turbines are the worker bees behind energy production. These devices convert the heat from nuclear fuel, concentrated solar power and fossil fuels like coal and gas, into electricity.

Groups of researchers are taking a giant leap in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. They are applying an established technology ― Raman spectroscopy ― to biomedical research.

Aaron Celestian's research uses Raman and XRF Spectroscopy to discover which minerals to treat toxic waste with and heal our world.

Large vaulted ceilings, old woodwork and stained glass dating back to the early 1900s overpowers you as you walk into the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) faced a challenge. It wanted to conduct photoemission spectroscopy in the extreme low UV range using a tunable light source. It’s a difficult application. No off-the-shelf instruments existed to achieve its goals.

Back at the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Department, crime scene investigators processed the tickets with chemicals to make any fingerprints on them visible.

Nanomaterials have been at the forefront of scientific research for more than a decade. These tiny materials are defined as microscopic substances measuring 1 nm to 100 nm in size.

Dave faced challenges managing the amount of dissolved organic material from its water source. Its main supply of raw water is the Delaware Raritan Canal. Rain events cause runoff, compounding the problem.

In less than two years, mankind will begin a journey that will open new doorways in its understanding of the universe.

Witkowski works for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He’s a chemist with the Trace Examination Section of the Forensic Chemistry Center. His job is to make sure the food, drugs and supplements you consume aren’t tainted or counterfeit, and he uses Raman spectroscopy to do that.

Watch the interview with Taylor Harvey, Ph.D., of Texas A&M University-Central Texas on Next Generation Photovoltaics

Taylor Harvey, Ph.D., of Texas A&M University-Central Texas, is deep into photovoltaic research.

Inside a small, neat lab, tucked away inside the engineering building at Rutgers University in New Jersey, a researcher is trying to use cheap and renewable sources in order to upgrade them to new useful products and fuels.

The result of Martin’s research could help create abundant, low-cost, clean energy on a global scale.

Professor Justin Sambur, from Colorado State, talks about his group's working looking into how to best use nano materials for better...

A Colorado group is tackling one of the largest issues facing us with some of the smallest materials known to mankind.

Scientists believe phenolic compounds, like those found in olive oil, can contribute to a lower rate of coronary heart disease and prostate and colon cancers.

Imagine reading a newspaper with an LED-like display that folds to fit in your pocket.

Igor K. Lednev, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University at Albany, State University of New York. He has been developing the use of Raman spectroscopy for a variety of forensic applications.

Richard Loomis is trying to make a better solar cell. And he’s taken a road off the beaten path to achieve that goal.

Visualize slicing a rock so thin it’s transparent to the eye. That’s what Eric Ellison must do to study which minerals host life.

Imagine killing cancer cells with oxygen compounds. Then tracking the cancer’s metabolism with near ultraviolet light sources. That’s the potential result of the pioneering work by a team at the University of Nevada-Reno.

The primary role of a drinking water treatment plant is to provide clean drinking (disinfected) water.

A material unfamiliar to the masses may provide a huge leap in solar energy technology over the next few years.

The Indian River Sheriff’s Department in Vero Beach uses alternate forensic light sources for their investigations every day.

Gene Hall is a crusader. His mission is to find mislabeled food and dietary supplement products, and reveal them to the world.

Doctors can treat certain types of cancers with non-toxic light-emitting molecules, photosensitizers, and light. This is the essence of Photodynamic therapy, an up and coming treatment model for certain cancers.

Andrew Whitley is an enigma. The classically trained Ph.D. just won the prestigious Charles Mann Award from the Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS) for his body of work.

There are a lot of quality characteristics that the winemakers are interested in that relate to the color of the wine and the phenolic content – compounds that affect the wine’s taste, color and mouthfeel.

Alternative light sources used by crime scene investigators help them identify evidence left by suspects at a crime scene.

The University of Cincinnati geology professor studies paleobiology – the study of ancient life. But what he’s also doing is uncovering evidence of the possibility of life beyond this planet.

Researchers have focused on the terrestrial system to identify the missing carbon, such as in rivers and glaciers. Baker’s group is focusing on groundwater.

How a team of nurses revolutionized the investigation of strangulation cases in the area of domestic assault.

Now, HORIBA Scientific has developed the perfect supplement for these highly capable research spectrofluorometers.

Elemental Analysis is a process where a sample of a material is analyzed for its elemental and sometimes isotopic composition.

In one case, using an innovation created by SPEX Forensics, a division of HORIBA Instruments, a suspect was subsequently linked by fingerprints to 32 different outstanding felony cases.

This winter, John Priscu plans to drill thousands of feet below the frozen ice of Antarctica and expects to find living creatures. If he’s successful, it could help change the way we see our planet.