JAAS News

We are delighted to announce the appointment of four new members to the JAAS Advisory Board. All four of our new members have been recipients of JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureships in recent years. The Lectureship aims to recognise and support an emerging scientist working in the area of atomic spectrometry in the early stages of their independent career.

Lara Lobo, Oviedo University, Spain
Lara Lobo was one of two winners of the 2015 JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship, launched to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the journal. Read Lara’s recent critical review article on depth profile analysis with glow discharge spectrometry here.

Gerardo Gamez, Texas Tech University, USA
Gerardo Gamez was one of two winners of the 2015 JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship, launched to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the journal. Check out Garardo’s article on compressed sensing spectral imaging for plasma optical emission spectroscopy here.

Sohail Mushtaq, University of Bristol, UK
Sohail Mushtaq was the recipient of the 2016 JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship. Read Sohail’s article on “The production of doubly charged sample ions by “charge transfer and ionization” (CTI) in analytical GD-MS” featured in the journal’s fifth Young Analytical Scientists issue.

Márcia Mesko, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil
Márcia Foster Mesko was the recipient of the 2018 JAAS Emerging Investigator Lectureship. Read her contribution to the recent Young Analytical Scientist Issue of the journal titled “Sample preparation of lipstick for further Cd and Pb determination by ICP-MS: is the use of complexing acids really necessary?”

JAAS is guided by an international Editorial Board and Advisory Board – more information on our board members can be found on our website. We welcome the knowledge and expertise our four new Advisory Board members will bring to the journal and we very much look forward to working with them. Welcome to the JAAS team!

Dr. Resano is Professor in the Department of Analytical Chemistry and member of the I3A research institute at the University of Zaragoza, where he leads the group M.A.R.T.E., that investigates the capabilities and limitations of atomic spectrometry techniques for bulk and spatially resolved trace and isotopic analysis. Current focus is in a) the detection and quantification of nanomaterials; b) the development of minimally invasive methods for analysis of biological fluids; c) the potential of high-resolution graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry for elemental and isotopic analysis.

Read Professor Resano’s Editor’s Choice selection via the links below – all articles are free to access for the next 4 weeks!

Separation and detection of gold nanoparticles with capillary electrophoresis and ICP-MS in single particle mode (CE-SP-ICP-MS)
Franze et al., J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c7ja00040e

This article explores for the first time the coupling of CE with ICP-MS operating in single particle mode, such that information on particle number, particle mean size, size distribution, and elemental composition can be visualized in 3-D single-particle electropherograms. A brilliant idea that follows the trend of adding extra dimensions to separation techniques, in order to achieve better resolution and more information.

Evaluation of a compact VUV spectrometer for elemental imaging by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: application to mine core characterization
Trichard et al., J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c7ja00185a

Imaging is a field in which the use of LIBS can represent a breakthrough because of its simplicity, sample throughput and cost-effectiveness. This work is a clear example of the potential of this technique.

Depth profiling of nanometer thin layers by laser desorption and laser postionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Yin et al., J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c7ja00081b

A very impressive work on the performance of a new technique, laser desorption and laser postionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, for depth profiling of thin layers of Ni and Ta, providing in-depth full isotopic spectra with an average ablation rate as low as 0.026 nm per laser pulse.

Novel non-target analysis of fluorine compounds using ICPMS/MS and HPLC-ICPMS/MS
Jamari et al., J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2017, 32, 942-950, DOI: 10.1039/C7JA00051K

A good example of how elemental information that is nearly impossible to achieve in a conventional way can instead be obtained, in an ingenious way, via the monitoring of molecular species. Plus, a good illustration of the upcoming importance of speciation of non-metals.

Sizing gold nanoparticles using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry
Leopold et al., J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2017, 32, 723-730, DOI: 10.1039/C7JA00019G

Another brilliant example of innovation, proving how an “old-fashioned” technique can provide new information, in this case enabling the selective detection and quantification of AuNP of different sizes, in the range between 2 and 100 nm.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr George Havrilla as a member of the JAAS Editorial Board.

George Havrilla is a scientist 5, in the Chemistry Division, at Los Alamos National Laboratory since 1993. His research efforts have included elemental analyses using X-ray fluorescence for bulk, mesoscale and microscale characterization. Before LANL he was at BP Research R&D Cleveland, Ohio and spent 2 years as an NAS/NRC postdoc at the National Bureau of Standards. He has a PhD from West Virginia University (1980) and 2 R&D 100 awards. He has developed novel XRF instruments including MXRF, confocal MXRF and hiRX along with many materials characterization methodologies. Current research interests include XRF applications to materials characterization and international safeguards.

We welcome Dr Havrilla and his expertise and experience to the JAAS Editorial Board. This appointment strenghtens the Board and we look forward to working with Dr Havrilla going forward.

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Martin Resano

The new Chair of the Editorial Board for JAAS has been announced as Martín Resano. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Martín and find out a bit more about him.

What are you most looking forward to in your new role as chair?

Besides working with very nice people, I think it is learning. Since I joined the Advisory Board and later the Editorial Board of JAAS, I have learnt a lot about how a Journal works and how all my colleagues do things in different ways. I expect the role as Chair will be even more formative. Plus, my wife is very proud of me!

What are your aims?

My aim is to try to further improve JAAS and leave it in a better situation than is now. Obviously, I have big shoes to fill, so it will not be easy. But JAAS community has always been like a family and we want to keep that, we want to keep the human contact in a Web 2.0 world, and we want to make it as easier and swift as possible for authors and reviewers, as well as provide further service (e.g. I like the new citation velocity addition!). I think there is still some room for improvement, for instance regarding proof corrections and MS promotion.

And there is always the inevitable IF. I think the current IF does not completely reflect the quality of the papers that JAAS publishes and I would like to see it going higher. Plus, former Editor and Publisher Niamh O’Connor jokingly (jokingly?) challenged me to beat the IF she achieved with Detlef Gunther as Chair (4.372 in 2010). Let’s see what we can do about that.

What direction do you see this research field moving in and what do you imagine will be the next big breakthrough?

As Bohr said, “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.”

I think atomic spectrometry is a bit dependent on instrumental and technological developments. This happens in all areas, but perhaps it is most obvious in ours, because only a few groups have the knowledge, support and access to resources to build such complex instruments. But we are good at taking advantage of the instruments we have, and even using them for purposes that significantly differ from those for which they were originally designed for, sometimes with very interesting outcomes.

So you can see new papers coming in some areas due to new needs (e.g., characterization of nanomaterials) but also because new instruments make it possible to develop new applications (e.g., new types of lasers, high-resolution continuum source AAS devices, ICP-MS/MS instruments, new XRF imaging applications based on synchrotrons). So it is hard to guess, because I think technologically it is possible to build better instrumentation right now, but the commercial impact has to be taken into account.

From a personal point of view, I would like to see a more powerful high-res continuum source AAS device, I am very curious about the potential of TOF devices for ICP-MS, and I would like to see the prices of fs lasers to finally drop.

And, overall, I think the difference between atomic and molecular spectrometry is becoming very subtle, as former Chair Frank Vanhaecke discussed in a recent JAAS editorial.

How do we encourage the next generation of analytical chemists?

Analytical chemistry is such an interdisciplinary field that enables you to work in any area you really like. Plus, the information we provide is not only useful, but often indispensable.

Whose work do you think is really exciting at the moment?

Everybody in our Editorial and Advisory Board is doing a great job. I feel very comfortable with the team we have, and I think it would be a bit unfair to highlight some group right now.

Instead, I prefer to talk a bit about the past. I grew up as a scientist admiring the work that former JAAS Chairs (such as Barry Sharp, Joe Caruso, Gary Hietfje, Detlef Gunther and Frank Vanhaecke) and other JAAS members (such as Ralph Sturgeon, Jim Holcombe, Bernhard Welz, Scott Tanner) did, and for me it has been a formidable experience and a wonderful journey to be able to not only meet them but to work with most of them. And most of them are still active and doing great Science!

Once again, we’d like to warmly welcome Martín. We’re looking forward to his term as Chair of the JAAS Editorial Board.

Professor Shan Gao

Recently, we received the very sad news that our former colleague and Editorial Board member Professor Shan Gao had passed away, only 53 years old.

Shan Gao was Professor of Geochemistry at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) and part-time professor at Northwestern University. He received his doctor’s degree from the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) in 1989 and was selected to be a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2009 and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2011. He also worked as associate editor and editorial board member of JAAS successively. His research mainly focused on laser ablation ICP-MS and its application in the analysis of minerals in situ elements and isotopes, chemical compositions of continental crust and the chemical exchange between the crust and mantle.

His contributions to these areas of research will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.

Professor Joseph Caruso

It is with great sadness that we share the news that our Advisory Board member and dear colleague Professor Joseph Caruso has recently passed away. Over the years he has been very active for the Royal Society of Chemistry and as well as serving as Chair for JAAS, he was the founding Chair for Metallomics, and became one of the leaders in this emerging area of exciting research.

During his career he was honoured with many awards including the American Chemical Society’s Cincinnati Chemist of the Year Award in 1992, the Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Society’s Anachem Award in 1994, and the Spectrochemical Analysis Award given by the Analytical Division of the American Chemical Society in 2000. More recently he received the Theophilus Redwood Lectureship Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2013 and the Eastern Analytical Symposium Fields of Analytical Chemistry Award in 2014.

His contributions as a scientist, teacher, colleague and friend will be greatly missed.

Our thoughts are with his family at this time.

Recently, we received the very sad and unexpected news that our Advisory Board member Professor Jan Košler had passed away, only 49 years old.

Professor Jan Košler, Photograph: University of Bergen

Jan graduated from Charles University, Prague, in 1988 and went on to do his PhD in Glasgow, Scotland, where he finished in 1993. He became lecturer, and in 2003, Associate Professor at Charles University, Prague. During this period, he spent one year in Memorial University, Canada and two years in Bergen as a visiting research fellow. In 2005 he got an Associate Professorship at the Department of Earth Science of the University of Bergen and became a full professor there in 2007. During his time in Bergen, Jan spent one year at University of Vienna, Austria, and this last year at the Geological Survey of Canada in Ottawa, Canada.

As an internationally respected analytical geochemist, Jan had a particular research interest in isotope geochemistry, isotopic dating and mass spectrometry development, particularly in natural small-scale isotope ratio variations. In his research, he made use of various micro-beam techniques, such as laser ablation ICP-MS or secondary ion mass spectrometry, and he was regarded as a leading expert in this field. His research focus spanned from hydrothermal mineral deposits on the Mid-Atlantic ridge to the use of isotope geochemistry for deciphering the provenance of sediments and the evolution and cycling of crustal rocks in orogenic belts. He had an enviable track record of publishing innovative analytical developments.

Jan was a principal investigator on a number of projects and had broad international networks. As part of his research, he carried out field work in Europe, Africa, South America and Western Antarctica. Besides being an outstanding scientist, he had broad teaching experiences, in petrology, mineralogy, geochemistry, isotope geology and laser ablation techniques. Jan was a respected and very well-liked teacher and supervisor.

JAAS has always appreciated Jan’s efforts for the well-being of the journal and for convincing his fellow geochemists to publish their analytical developments in our journal. We will all miss Jan’s friendly face on the conferences we attend, as well as the stimulating scientific discussions and social talks with him. With Jan Košler the scientific community is losing a dedicated colleague and a very good friend.

Our thoughts are with his family, his wife Alena and his son and daughter.

Since the announcement of Frank Vanhaecke becoming the new Chair of the Editorial Board for JAAS, we’ve had the opportunity to have a little chat with our incoming Chair.

What are your aims? First and foremost, I’ll be aiming to continue the fantastic efforts of my predecessors, Detlef and Gary being the most recent!

Any goals for your term as Chair? To stimulate the publication of even more original interdisciplinary research involving atomic spectrometry in JAAS e.g., from the fields of biomedicine and geochemistry, whilst preserving the attention for fundamental topics. We would also like to encourage more authors who are working in the development of techniques for elemental research such as synchrotron radiation XRF, X-ray absorption spectrometry XAS and isotope ratio mass spectrometry IRMS.

Anything else? Our primary goal of course has to be to further strengthen the position of JAAS as the leading journal exclusively devoted to atomic spectrometry in the community.

We’d of course like to welcome Frank once again, and we’re looking forward to his term as Chair of the JAAS Editorial Board.