In this episode, podcast co-hosts Dr. Dwight Stoll and Dr. James Grinias talk with Dr. Benjamin Garcia. Dr. Garcia is the Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics in the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. His research interests primarily focus on the development of mass spectrometry-based proteomic approaches for the analysis of post-translational modifications of proteins (PTMs) and modified proteomes. His group specializes in high-throughput and quantitative analysis of many classes of modified proteins, especially epigenetic histone PTMs. He is a prolific author and scientific leader, with an h-index approaching 120. He has received a LOT of awards to date, but we sat down with him at the Eastern Analytical Symposium where he was recognized for his recent EAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mass Spectrometry. In the conversation we talk about the origins of Dr. Garcia’s interests in analytical science, mass spectrometry, and biomedical research, and he shares his thoughts about the current state and near future for technologies used for biomolecule separations including peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides. We also discuss Dr. Garcia’s highly impactful efforts to promote participation in the analytical sciences by people from all backgrounds, and he shares some thoughts about the “to-do list” for his upcoming term as chair of the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry.

Here in Episode #33, podcast host Dr. Jerry Workman speaks with Dr. Brian G. Rohrback, President of Infometrix, Inc. in Bothell, WA, USA—who has been active in chemometrics research and creating software for complex calibrations and multivariate data analysis since 1983. Infometrix was founded by researchers Bruce Kowalski and Gerry Erickson in 1978. We have invited Brian to our Analytically Speaking podcast to discuss his research and experience in automating the process of building multivariate calibrations.

Here in Episode #31, podcast host Dr. Jerry Workman speaks with Dr. Barry M. Wise, Founder and President of Eigenvector Research, Inc. about the meaning of the terms chemometrics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and neural networks (NNs) within the context of analytical chemistry and process analysis.

In this episode, podcast co-hosts Dr. Dwight Stoll and Dr. James Grinias talk with Dr. Farooq Wahab, Research Engineering Scientist at the University of Texas at Arlington. Wahab has interests and expertise in chiral separations, improving the green-ness of chromatographic separations, new detectors for chromatography such as microwave rotational spectroscopy, and new techniques for signal processing in chromatography, among other areas. He and several coauthors recently published a paper in Analytical Chemistry discussing their experiences using generative artificial intelligence (i.e. chatGPT) as a research assistant when working on tasks in measurement science ranging from extraction of rotational microwave spectra from free induction decay signals, to baseline removal from chromatographic data. In the conversation we talk about the origins of this study, strengths and weaknesses of chatGPT as a research assistant in the analytical chemistry space, and the role of generative AI in chemistry teaching and learning. We also touch on tips and tricks also published by Wahab and coworkers for dealing with equations and symbol-heavy text when using generative AI tools. One very interesting application of these tricks is in the translation of relatively old (decades) papers that were published before English became the standard language for much of science publication.

Here in Episode #29, podcast host Dr. Jerry Workman speaks with Dr. Thomas Mayerhöfer from the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology in Jena, Germany, about quantitative spectroscopy and wave optics in infrared spectroscopy, including the theory, simulation, and modeling aspects.

In this episode, podcast co-hosts Dr. Dwight Stoll and Dr. James Grinias talk with Dr. Molly Atkinson, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX, and her graduate student David Hamilton. Atkinson and Hamilton are experts in Chemistry Education Research (CER), and they recently published a paper discussing results of a survey of bachelors-level chemists working in industry that asked them “What does industry want new chemists to know?”. The paper, published earlier this year in the Journal of Chemical Education, generated quite a lot of buzz on analytical chemistry social media. In the conversation we talk about highlights from the article, and touch on potential future work that could fill in knowledge gaps identified by the first survey. The survey revealed some trends that will be familiar to readers of LCGC Magazine. For example, the surveyed chemists indicated that liquid and gas chromatography are two of the top five most important instrumental techniques that new chemists entering industry should know how to use. On the other hand, the survey also revealed some surprising results - for example, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was not in the top-five instrumental techniques, despite that NMR occupies a prominent position in most undergraduate chemistry curricula in the United States. Finally, the guests and co-hosts discuss a bit about how Chemistry Education Research “works”, for listeners who are less familiar with this discipline than other more traditional research areas.

Here in Episode #27, podcast host Dr. Jerry Workman speaks with Dr. Richard Crocombe of Crocombe Spectroscopic Consulting, about the world of ever shrinking spectrometers. We explore the technologies and applications for such portable and wearable systems and the future of spectroscopy in our everyday lives.

In this episode, podcast co-hosts Dr. Dwight Stoll and Dr. James Grinias discuss highlights and observations from the recently completed HPLC2024 that was held in Denver, Colorado in July. The “HPLC Meeting”, as the conference is affectionately known by regular attendees, is widely regarded as the premier venue to discuss the latest advances in liquid chromatography research and applications, and is well attended by influencers in the community from both academic and industrial research laboratories. This year’s meeting was no exception, with fantastic talks and posters presented by scientists from around the world. In the conversation, we discuss some of the major themes and trends we observed at the meeting, including the proliferation of research around therapeutic oligonucleotides, and the increasing emphasis on the “green-ness” of analytical science in general, and liquid phase separations in particular. We also highlight the recipients of several awards presented at the meeting, and the value of attending the meeting, especially for students and other young scientists. Upcoming instances of the HPLC Meeting will be held in Dalian, China (2024), Bruges, Belgium (2025), and Indianapolis in the U.S. (2026).

Here in Episode 25, podcast host Dr. Jerry Workman speaks with Dr. Brian C. Smith about the challenges of training scientists to interpret infrared spectra and how to leverage that expertise into building a specialized instrument for analysis of Cannabis.

In this episode, podcast co-hosts Dr. Dwight Stoll and Dr. James Grinias talk with Dr. Andre de Villiers, Professor of Chemistry at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Dr. de Villiers is an expert in multi-dimensional chromatography and leads a research program mainly focused on the use of two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometric detection for the deep characterization of natural products such as tea, wine, wood, and cocoa. Some of his recent work has explored the potential for ion mobility separations to increase the utility of mass spectrometric detection coupled with two-dimensional liquid chromatography separations. In the conversation, we talk about the development of Andre’s interest in separation science as a result of a chance meeting with Pat Sandra, and the increasingly apparent “perception problem” facing the field of analytical chemistry. Finally, Dr. de Villiers shares his views on some of the most pressing challenges he sees in the work he is doing right now, including the need for better methods to separate complex mixtures of tannins in natural products, and the need for better data analysis tools in multi-dimensional separations in general.

Welcome to “Analytically Speaking,” the podcast from LCGC International and Spectroscopy. Here in Episode #23, podcast host Dr. Jerry Workman speaks with Dr. Art Springsteen and Dr. David Wyble about the challenges of creating color standards and making color measurements using optical spectroscopy.

In this episode, podcast host Dr. Dwight Stoll talks with Dr. Katelynn Perrault Uptmor, Dr. Pierre-Hugues Stefanuto, and Dr. Petr Vozka about the multidimensional chromatography workshop, better known as the MDCW for short. Kate, PH, Petr, and Dwight are co-organizers of the MDCW workshop, which was held most recently at California State University, Los Angeles. In their conversation they discuss how the MDCW is different from, and similar to, conventional scientific conferences. They reflect on the most recent (15th) meeting, including highlights from both the technical and social programs, and in the impact on the local student community at Cal State LA. Then, they switch gears and look forward to the 16th MDCW, which will be held February 3-5 at the University of Liege, in Liege, Belgium.

Here in Episode 21, podcast host Dr. Jerry Workman speaks with Dr. Art Springsteen about the history and challenges associated with reflection and color standards used around the world for optical spectroscopy.

In this episode, podcast co-hosts Dr. Dwight Stoll and Dr. James Grinias talk with Dr. Heather Bean, Associate Professor of Biomedicine and Biotechnology at Arizona State University. Dr. Bean is an expert in volatilomics and leads a research program focused on the use of omics approaches to better understand a variety of physiological conditions ranging from disease and illness, such as cystic fibrosis and Valley fever, to fatigue. In their conversation, they discuss several of Dr. Bean’s recent research articles focused on the use of two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to profile hundreds of volatile compounds present in biological samples that are relevant to these conditions. In addition to aspects of the actual separations that produce these data, they also discuss some of the current challenges in this type of work, including “missingness” in the datasets, and the importance of retention databases to omics work. Listeners are also referred to the upcoming Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop, which will be held at California State University, Los Angeles, from January 10-12. For more information, see the conference website - http://www.multidimensionalchromatography.com/.

Here in Episode #19, podcast host Dr. Jerry Workman speaks with Dr. Andreas Riedo about the new developments in atomic spectroscopy, particularly those related to new advances in the field of space research.

In this episode, podcast co-hosts Dr. Dwight Stoll and Dr. James Grinias talk with Dr. Kevin Schug, Shimadzu Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Texas, Arlington. Dr. Schug is an expert in separations and mass spectrometry, and leads a research program with diverse interests ranging from clinical analysis to environmental analysis. In their conversation, they discuss several of Dr. Schug’s recent research articles focused on the thermodynamics of headspace analysis using ionic liquids as cosolvents, analysis of intact proteins using triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, and the coupling of supercritical fluid extraction with supercritical fluid chromatography. They also discuss several of Kevin’s topic interests, including mentoring the next generation of separation scientists, and the importance of rigorous analytical chemistry in the courtroom. Finally, Dr. Schug shares a few bits of advice, in addition to a plea for academic institutions to reconsider the way they support major research instrumentation.

Here in Episode 17, podcast host Dr. Jerry Workman speaks with Dr. Jake Shelley about the latest developments and research in the field of atomic spectroscopy. Dr. Jake Shelley is the Alan Paul Schulz Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York. Shelley’s research explores new hardware and software tools for mass spectrometry for improved detection and identification of analytes, particularly in complex matrices. He is an emerging leader in the field of atomic spectroscopy as noted by his academic background, and involvement with journals, conferences, and by multiple awards, publications, and patents. More information and links about Prof. Shelley and his research can be found within our podcast postings.

In this episode, podcast host Dr. Dwight Stoll talks with Dr. David Bell, Research Fellow at Restek Corporation in Bellefonte, PA. Dr. Bell is an expert in the chemistry of stationary phases used for chromatography, and has contributed to all aspects of the lifecycle of commercial columns for chromatography, including research, development, and applications. In their conversation, they discuss Dr. Bell’s in separation science, opportunities that have come through his work as the Editor of “Column Watch” for LCGC Magazine, and the increasing influence of green chemistry principles on research in separations community. Finally, they discuss the important ingredients for successful collaborations between industry and academic researchers, and Dr. Bell shares a few bits of advice for young scientists.

Welcome to “Analytically Speaking,” the podcast from LCGC and Spectroscopy. Here in Episode 15, podcast host Dr. Jerry Workman talks to Dr. Ellen Miseo and Dr. Zac Schultz about the benefits of participating in the Coblentz Society. Ellen has been involved in vibrational spectroscopy and instrument development her entire career and is trained as a physical chemist. She has worked for instrument companies as well as run laboratory operations. She is past president of both the Coblentz Society and Society for Applied Spectroscopy. She currently heads Miseo Consulting. Zachary Schultz is Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The Ohio State University and is the current President of the Coblentz Society. He is widely published on the subject of vibrational spectroscopy and also has an interest in undergraduate science education, and professional development, advancement, and mentoring.

In this episode, podcast host Dr. Dwight Stoll talks with Dr. Emanuella Gionfriddo, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toledo, Ohio. Dr. Gionfriddo is an expert in bioanalysis and analyte extraction technologies, and works on both the development of new technologies, and the application of those technologies to contemporary analytical challenges. In their conversation, they discuss the origins of Dr. Gionfriddo’s interest in science, and several recent papers, including topics including extraction of neurotoxins from water, markers of hydraulic fracturing activity in wastewater, and development of thin-film extraction for improved performance of DNA amplification assays. Finally, Dr. Gionfriddo shares several pieces of advice for young and aspiring scientists.