JAAS News

We have a double feature today. We interview Shudi Zhang and Zhibin Yin, who are carrying out their PhDs under the supervision of Prof Dr. Wei Hang at Xiamen University (China), and who we had the opportunity to meet during the recent 6th Asia-Pacific Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry.

Shudi Zhang in his lab in Xiamen

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?

There was a common saying in Chinese that there would not be anything to be afraid of if you learned Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry well. That was what my parents and teachers had always been telling me. Thereby I studied these subjects strenuously and found them interesting, especially Chemistry. I thought that it was a great wonder to witness two substances reacting with each other and giving rise to various fabulous scenes, like color altering, foaming, glowing, booming and so forth. Plus, it felt so good when I was able to explain the fundamental mechanism of some conventional phenomena in daily life. Hence, I decided to work on Chemistry and try to make a contribution to it.

Why did you choose your research group/University and what factors influenced your choice?

First of all, Chemistry is one of the best majors in Xiamen University, and the milieu here for doing research is perfect. Secondly, Professor Wei Hang has been doing an excellent job in instrumentation and application of mass spectrometry, in which I am very interested. I thought mass spectrometry is the most versatile tool to characterize various chemical compounds, and I wish to master the essence of it. Thirdly, the students in my group are very friendly and accommodating, and I had a great time working and exchanging thoughts with them. So I made my choice to study in Professor Wei Hang’s group in Xiamen University.

Can you explain a bit the purpose of your current research activities?

I’m currently doing simulation and theoretical work in laser ablation/ionization mass spectrometry. Laser ablation technique is well-known for its versatility and simplicity, but it suffers from matrix effect and elemental fractionation. In order to make the technique more applicable, it is imperative to study the fundamental mechanism of the whole laser ionization process and make refinements based on the factors that matter. This is the purpose of my research activities and I’m utilizing Chemometrics and physical simulations to achieve this goal. With chemometric tools, I can figure out and quantify the importance of the physical and chemical properties of the matrices in matrix effect/elemental fractionation through a mathematical point of view. Furthermore, by physical simulation, I can get insight into the detailed processes and check out which ones may give rise to these effects. Currently I’ve proved that the influence of laser pulse width on matrix effect is really a matter of thermal properties of matrices.

How is a typical day in your lab?

Unlike many other supervisors who have a stringent demand for students to arrive at Lab early, Prof. Wei Hang allow us to arrive at 9:00 a.m. and hence work with high efficiency and great energy. Usually I spend half an hour at the beginning of a day to plan the things I’m going to do. There are plenty of mass spectrometers in our group, which guarantees enough time for me to handle spectrometers. Samples have already been loaded into the ionization chamber the previous day at night, so then I would adjust the instrumental parameters, and analyze the samples. Our group goes to lunch together and shares experimental observations and ideas on the way to lunch. In the afternoon, I would process the data obtained in the morning and possibly redo the experiment if there is something wrong with the data. In the evening, I would clean the instrument, load new samples into it and take a brief overview of the work done during the day. After that, I would read some articles relevant to my research area or just something I’m interested in. This is a typical day in my lab.

What common activities are organized in your research group?

The most frequent activity is playing badminton. All our group members go to play it every Thursday night to exercise and relax. Regularly, we’ll have a big meal once or twice a month. Additionally, Professor Wei Hang would invite us all to dinner whenever a paper is published or a great deal of job has just been finished. When time is good, we would also go to KTV and sing the songs we love. Moreover, our group will go hiking at the end of each year to relax and enjoy the great scenery. When a student has just graduated, our group will have a short trip to another town to celebrate it. All these activities make me feel that our group is a big harmonious family which deserves fighting for it.

What app/programs do you typically use?

I use Microsoft Word most frequently to write articles, reports and so on. As to data processing, I prefer Origin for its great ability and diverse data-presenting choices, although I also use Microsoft Excel to do some simple data-manipulation. Labview is also a choice for data processing; what is more importantly, I also use it to make programs to control the instruments. In order to get more complicated contour plots, I use Surfer as well. And of course, I use Microsoft PPT to give presentations and report my experimental proceedings. As to my research area, I also use Matlab and FDTD solutions for simulation.

How do you search for scientific information? How do you manage your bibliography?

Most frequently, I use Google Scholar to search articles and other scientific information. SciFinder is another choice, but it takes more time. I manage my bibliography using Endnote software. I think it’s a very convenient tool to categorize and manage the numerous articles you’ve read.

What are your views on JAAS? Which type of articles do you prefer? Do you miss some content?

JAAS is one of the most outstanding journals in atomic spectroscopy. Although I haven’t published an article in JAAS, I’m sure I’m going to send a manuscript in the near future. I’ve read a great deal of JAAS articles dealing with laser ablation and laser ablation-ICP techniques. Moreover, I enjoy reading latest development in instrumentation in JAAS.

What do you like and dislike the most about your work?

I like the great opportunity to learn mass spectrometry, since there are plenty of mass spectrometers in the lab and I have the chance to learn every one of them. I like it when we’re allowed to dismantle a mass spectrometer and to learn the concrete configuration and instrumentation of it, which is undoubtedly a precious experience. I like my accommodating colleagues, the cooperative atmosphere here.

I dislike it when my experimental and simulation results didn’t come out right, when the instrument didn’t function well and when my paper was rejected.

What do you expect to be doing in 5 years’ time?

From now on, I will spend three years’ time to finish my PhD’s degree. After that, I guess I would either go abroad to get a post-doctoral position to continue my endeavor in atomic spectroscopy or work in some research institutions or companies.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab?

Outside my research area, I have plenty of hobbies. I like foreign literatures and movies, so I combine them into one activity: watching foreign movies and TV series. I learn English and Japanese this way. I like computer skills as well. Whenever a computer (either mine or my friends’) does not work out right, I will get very excited and try everything I can to solve the problem. Oh, and recently I’m falling in love with photography, since I want to record the beauty of life by myself.

Zhibin Yin in his lab in Xiamen

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?

I think what inspired me to become a scientist is the life in my school, Xiamen University. I was still a know-nothing teenager and did not touch the fancy scientific world before I went to university. It was the scientific courses, my supervisor Prof. Wei Hang as well as colleagues that inspired me to step into the palace of science. It was an interesting and delightful moment every time I discussed the scientific issues with my colleagues in the lab, such as Weifeng Li, Shudi Zhang, Miaohong He, and Zhisen Liang. I always learn something new no matter who is the winner of the discussion. Additionally, my parents are also the persons who inspired me to become a scientist because they always gave me the freedom to choose what I really like.

Why did you choose your research group/University and what factors influenced your choice?

First of all, I chose Xiamen University as my undergraduate school because it is one of the most beautiful campus in China and it is close to my home. It may sound naive at first but it is true. However, I was attracted and impressed by the history, the culture, the academic atmosphere of this beautiful university. Moreover, the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, where I studied, is the best college in Xiamen University. So is the Analytical Chemistry group. I find out my enthusiasm for mass spectrometry in Prof. Wei Hang group. I like the instrumentation and application of MS very much. That is the reason why I choose to pursue for my PhD degree directly as soon as I got my bachelor degree in the same university, Xiamen University.

As for the choice of my research group, it can be attributed to the fact that I am crazy about Analytical Chemistry. When I was a second-grade undergraduate student, I got a project called “Seeding-Raising Funding”, which encourage undergraduate with curiosity to join the group of interest for scientific research. Compared to synthetic Chemistry, such as Inorganic or Organic Chemistry, I would prefer Analytical Chemistry. So I joined Prof. Wei Hang group, wich opened my academic road. It was the first time I got to know optical and mass spectrometry and I became crazier and crazier about them when I got this insight. The research group has provided me with the platform to learn and grow. I really cherish this hard-won opportunity. I would stick to my original choice if I were permitted to choose again. Another reason why I choose my research group is the colleagues in the lab. I am so happy to work with them during my PhD program.

Can you explain a bit the purpose of your current research activities?

I am engaged in the research and development of new analytical methods based on laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LI-TOFMS) and new MS instruments. In my last project, I focused in acquiring the information on metal/nonmetal elements, molecules, as well as molecular fragments of organometallic compounds simultaneously by high irradiance LI-TOFMS. In my view, this corresponds very well with the new JAAS scope, seeking for new sources that provide both atomic and molecular information. It is time-saving and easy-to-operate that acquiring the elemental, fragmental, and molecular information simultaneously by LI-MS.

In my current research, I will be active in the project devoted to focus the micron-sized spot to the nano-scale spot by laser irradiance. Lateral resolution in the laser-dependent technique is restricted to micron by the diffraction limit. However, there is an urgent need for developing a new analytical method that goes deep into nano-world. Hence, I try to introduce the near-field effect to LI-MS in order to obtain nano-scale resolution.

How is a typical day in your lab?

We do not follow the old saying that “The early bird gets the worm”, instead we go to the lab at about 9 o’clock a.m. Compared to getting up early, I prefer to do the research with efficiency. I always schedule my work every day on my way to the lab, and start to work quickly as soon as I arrive at the lab. Generally speaking, I will warm up the home-made laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LI-TOFMS) laser, as well as the cooling water system and the oscilloscope. Data processing is right behind finishing experiments, in case more experiments needed to be supplemented. I think the happiest time in a day is the mealtime, because all of us in the lab can discuss the interesting experiment phenomena, and share what has happened all over the world.

In addition to daily experiments, I spend most of my time reading literature, thinking why he/she came up with this wonderful idea, and taking notes about the most innovative points at night. We will finish our typical day at about 10 o’clock p.m.

What common activities are organized in your research group?

Every Thursday afternoon is the most important time of the week for us. Group meeting will be held for discussing the results we have obtained and what bottlenecks have been encountered. Moreover, we can share the fantastic ideas of original papers. After group meeting finishes, all of us will play badminton in the evening. Moreover, our group will organize a short trip to another town for relaxing and sightseeing in the summer vacation.

What app/programs do you typically use?

In consideration with home-built LI-MS instruments, there are a lot of programs we should use. For example, LabVIEW 8.5 is used to control laser, high-voltage pulse train generator, and collect the data from a digital storage oscilloscope. Origin 8.5 is used for processing data and producing final mass spectra. I also use AutoCAD and Photoshop for editing graphics. Additionally, we will use Solidworks 2014 to build 3D MS instruments and SIMION 8.0 to simulate the ion trajectory in the electrostatic field of LI-TOFMS. Last but not least, we mostly use Microsoft Office, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint etc.

How do you search for scientific information? How do you manage your bibliography?

In Xiamen University, we can choose SciFinder Scholar or Web of Science for scientific information. However, I always use Google Scholar to find the literatures of interest for convenience. It is all-inclusive and easy to search that most of my colleagues use it.

For bibliography management, Endnote X7 is the apple of my eyes because it is highly compatible and easy to manage numerous literatures, as well as indispensable when preparing a manuscript.

What are your views on JAAS? Which type of articles do you prefer? Do you miss some content?

It is well-know that JAAS is at the forefront of analytical atomic spectrometry publishing. Because I am engaged in the field of laser and mass spectrometry, JAAS is one of the most important journals I follow. I will keep an eye on the up-to-date manuscripts, such as advance articles, and accepted manuscripts. Actually, I have registered as a member of RSC publishing and opened Email Alerts Service, so I am informed as soon as new issues of JAAS have been published. I have published a paper in JAAS, the comments from peer review process is very constructive and helpful. I always pay close attention to the field of laser and mass spectrometry, especially the new instrumental concepts and constructions. I hope JAAS can publish more themed collections about instrument development in near future.

What do you like and dislike the most about your work?

What I like the most about my work is that some inspirations come up to my brain when I read the literature. It is so exciting if I obtain the results just as I expected. Prof. Wei Hang always encourages us to disassemble the broken instruments and fix them up by ourselves. What I like most is to find what is wrong with an instrument and smoothly fix it.

What I dislike is the academic atmosphere in China, most of time we have to fight for the publishing numbers and high impact factor, the research innovation and significance are always ignored. Especially, many groups that are devoted to instrumental development can’t publish high impart factor papers, but they are very important.

What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time?

Because I needn’t go through the Master stage (from Bachelor degree to PhD degree directly), I have three years left before I can get my PhD degree. Right now, I can’t make up my mind about what exact career I will be engaged in. But definitely, I will be occupied in the laser-related or MS-related area. I like instrumental R&D a lot, especially MS instruments, so it is my Bible for the direction of future development. No matter what employment direction I choose, I will go abroad for further study as a post-doctoral fellow after I get my PhD degree. I think it is a great experience for expanding my horizons. What I should do in the remaining 3 years of PhD is working harder, learning more, and making good preparation for the future.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab?

Sometimes I will stay in the lab for experiments and reading literatures, or I will hang out with my best friends or colleagues on some weekends. I like reading, watching foreign movies, and communicating with people. If I have enough time, I will choose to travel for gaining experience. Because there is a common saying in Chinese that “Either travelling or reading, body and soul, there must be one on the road”. Having a good rest in my room is also a good choice to keep myself energetic for the work next week.

Thanks a lot to both of you for sharing your thoughts with us!

Have a look at Zhibin’s most recent article in JAAS:

Comprehensive analysis of metalloporphyrins via high irradiance laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, Z. Yin, B. Sun, X. Wang, X. Cheng, W. Hang and B. Huang, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2014, 29, 1714-1719.

Today we interview a truly exceptional young PhD student, a true expert in various ancient arts (e.g., origami and brewing beer), Flávio Venâncio Nakadi, a PhD student at the Universidade de São Paulo, working under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Márcia A.M.S. da Veiga.

Today we interview, Dr. David Douglas, a post-doc at LGC Limited, currently working in the group of Dr. Heidi Goenaga-Infante.

David in his lab

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?

From an early age I was fascinated by how the world around me worked and would often take things apart to understand the processes that culminated in an output or action. I received a microscope one Christmas from my parents, which populated more questions than it answered and fueled my need to improve my understanding. Two inspirational Chemistry teachers, Mr Gordon Waston-Broughton and Mr Tim Rutherford, kept this need burning and encouraged me to study Chemistry at Plymouth University. That is where my first research project began under the keen eyes of Dr Michael Foulkes and Dr Andrew Fisher. I enjoyed research so much I decided I had to attempt a PhD. I was lucky enough that such a position had become available in Prof. Barry Sharp and Dr Helen Reid’s group at Loughborough University, where I once again began to deconstruct things to understand how they worked. By sharing in the passion these people have for science, I have been inspired to follow it as a career and a hobby.

Why did you choose your research group/University and what factors influenced your choice?

I currently work within the Inorganic Research Team of the Science and Innovation section at LGC Ltd, under the watchful eyes of Heidi Goenaga-Infante. My first experience of the group was through a joint Knowledge Transfer Project (KTP) with Loughborough University focusing on improving metrological bio-imaging by LA-ICP-MS.

LGC is a commercial entity that is home to the UK’s designated National Measurement Institute (NMI) for Chemical and Biological Measurement. As such employees are exposed to a large range of research topics; ranging from large European funded measurement projects (EMPIR) and international comparison studies (CCQM), to the smaller commercial external and internal projects. During my KTP I was exposed to the plethora of instrumentation and collaboration at LGC and the potential for metrological research in solid sample analysis. This combined with the range of applications drew me to my current position.

Another big part of why I chose LGC was down to the group of people I work with. They come from a range of cultural backgrounds and scientific experiences; in an environment where scientific discussion is encouraged, this makes for some motivating and inspiring ideas. Without their support my job would be impossible.

Can you explain a bit the purpose of your current research activities?

My current research activities focus on improving metrology of LA-ICP-MS analysis and the traceability of these measurements.

I am currently working with my colleagues on the development of new calibration strategies to determine localised metal concentrations in tissues; a topic that has received a lot of interest in the research community and something of a personal interest. We are focusing on improving the uncertainty associated with these measurements and thus enhance spatial discrimination of analyte concentration. This is important for applications such as the investigation of iron’s association with Alzheimer’s disease and for tracking of localised cancer treatments.

I am exposed to a diverse range of applications and new projects we are about to undertake include feasibility studies of LA-ICP-MS sampling for complex matrices, and the development of rapid and robust screening methods for health. Each new area brings new challenges to develop robust and traceable measurement methods and are driven by industry needs.

How is a typical day in your lab?

For an experimental day I tend to begin by configuring our LA-ICP-MS instrumentation (NWR213 coupled to either our Element 2, 8800 or one of our 7700s) for the particular application being run that week e.g. wet plasma, online addition etc. I switch all the instruments on and let them settle for an hour. This gives me enough time to head to the office and grab a cup of coffee and sort through a mountain of e-mails. I’ll then setup the experiment for the day.

I spend a considerable amount of time in the office working on data reduction and interpretation of the results from the experiments. This work is often broken up by some of my other requirements of laboratory organization, project planning and instrumentation acquisition. I also have many opportunities to discuss other project topics and science with my colleagues.

What common activities are organized in your research group?

Many people from the Inorganic, Organic and Purity teams will take coffee at 10:00 and 15:00. Almost all of the section will attend this event at 10:00 on a Friday. This is our unofficial cake day, where one member of the section is volunteered each week to bake a treat of their choice. A more complicated rule also exists in that if the pay day for that month is a Friday then we head out for lunch to enjoy an ‘Open Burger’ from the local pub. A small group of us also head to the pub on a Friday evening.

Inorganic team meetings are a monthly occurrence and are used to discuss company business, conferences, papers, projects and laboratory issues. We also have a presentation from one member of the group on their research, work or a new piece of instrumentation they are using. We also attend monthly science meetings for the section (comprised of Inorganic, Organic, Purity and Reference Materials) where two presentations are given from any team. Annually we have a Science and Social day dedicated to improving divisional communication and understanding. This brings together the Science and Innovation division under the Government Chemist.

What app/programs do you typically use?

I regularly use the Microsoft Office suite of programs, such as Excel and Word; I am also a keen user of Visio to create diagrams for papers, presentations or patents.

LGC has begun to adopt OneNote as a means to compliment the conventional lab book; with talk of trialing tablets in the lab to replace lab books completely. The suitability of this program for sharing of information has really shone through when multiple people are collaborating on the same project.

I use Igor Pro, and the add-in Iolite, to reduce my LA data. I find the graphical interface, and identification of transient data as a wave useful in processing. The support from the developers and community is fantastic; they are patient and efficient in helping those with limited coding experience like me. Images can be generated easily using Iolite from ICP data and laser log files.

How do you search for scientific information? How do you manage your bibliography?

I often use Google Scholar and ScienceDirect when searching for information. I also use RSS feeds to keep me updated on highlighted releases from the major journals in my field.

I download papers and arrange them into folders with descriptive headings; sub-folders are used to provide further description. Information is collated using the reference manager Mendeley (freeware). As the program is free I can continue to use it if I move from one institute to another, and the annotation/key word functions are useful.

What are your views on JAAS? Which type of articles do you prefer? Do you miss some content?

JAAS is one of the important journals in my field of research. I have published in JAAS and found the process intuitive; whilst the peer review process provides vital constructive comments.

I enjoy the diversity of the articles published in JAAS, and particularly enjoy those that discuss new instrumental developments.

What do you like and dislike the most about your work?

There are many aspects of my job that I like, however the one that ranks highest for me is the group of people I get to work with. The cultural diversity makes for a good social environment but their scientific expertise makes for a great learning environment.

As this is a commercial environment we are limited by the time we can dedicate to certain activities, meaning that I cannot spend a day or two investigating something strange I have observed, no matter how much I want to. However this does mean that I need to plan my work carefully and ensure maximum ulitlisation/efficiency.

I particularly enjoy the wide range of instrumentation that I have access to, whether this is on site or through collaboration with other institutes and universities.

What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time?

I would be happy to remain in my current employment as I can see many emerging opportunities within LGC. I also enjoy the projects and work that LGC undertake and feel that I can drive the solid sampling capability into new and interesting areas, whilst obtaining a vast amount of experience.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab?

I have many hobbies outside of my research and work; I believe it is important to keep the mind and body active with a variety of pastimes. When the weather is good I enjoy fishing, walking and photography and for when it is not so good (a common situation in UK) I have taken up woodworking. This has given me the pleasure of building toys and decorations for our first child.

Thanks a lot, David! Have a look at some recent work published by David in JAAS

We  begin the year interviewing Ásta Heiðrún E. Pétursdóttir, a post-doc at Matís (Iceland) who recently finished her PhD in Aberdeen under the supervision of Jörg Feldmann.

Ásta in her former lab in Aberdeen

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?

I always enjoyed the Science subjects in school and college, so I decided to study Mathematics and Chemistry at University. After a couple of years I switched completely to Chemistry; we got to wear cool lab coats, safety goggles and do crazy science experiments in the lab.

Why did you choose your research group/University and what factors influenced your choice?

My MSc (University of Iceland) was based on arsenic and arsenic speciation and mainly took place at Matís, Iceland, which is a dynamic R&D company that among other things aims at ensuring safety and quality of food products. This suited well my research interests. I decided to go abroad for an exchange year via the ERASMUS program, to take courses and get in depth expert guidance in a research group intensively involved in speciation, which was then a new field in my group in Iceland. My supervisor at the time mentioned a few research groups doing arsenic speciation and of those Scotland sounded like a nice place. Rain, wind, mountains and sheep. So just like home.

A few months in I decided to stay and do a PhD in the group (TESLA group at the University of Aberdeen). I have to admit at that point I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do arsenic speciation for 3 more years, if I’d want to live in such a grey city, nor even if I wanted to stay abroad for so long. But the speciation grew on me and now I think it is fascinating, I like the city, I made amazing friends and I couldn’t have wished for a better supervisor. I see now that this was a pretty good decision. I finished my PhD this summer and I’m currently back in the research group in Iceland where the whole process started off, but now as a PostDoc, so I’ve come a circle. It was a good experience to go abroad for my studies, but it’s also great to be back in my old research group.

Can you explain a bit the purpose of your current research activities?

In my PhD I focused mainly on the speciation of inorganic arsenic, because of its toxicity and potential upcoming legislation on inorganic arsenic in food (e.g. rice) in Europe. I was interested in seeing what affected the determination of inorganic arsenic; the extraction? The instrumental method? None of the above? I did some method development and published a few papers on this. I also looked into lipid-soluble arsenic. It’s been an under researched area but is gaining more attention now. The arsenolipids are of interest since there are still so many unanswered questions regarding them. At the University of Aberdeen I had fantastic opportunities to study this, as there is extensive knowledge present within the group on this subject matter and unique combination of instrumentation facilitating easier determination of the arsenolipids. At the moment I’m continuing my work on inorganic arsenic, but would like to get back to the arsenolipids in the near future.

How is a typical day in your lab?

When I’m in the lab most time goes into sample preparation, analysis or method development. I’ve also been supervising students which I find enjoyable. I do spend a considerable time outside of the lab, working on data treatment, writing papers or grant proposals.

What common activities are organized in your research group?

In my current workplace we have regular division meetings where we discuss the recent developments within the group. We also have several social events planned each year, such as the recent Christmas dinner and in the autumn the whole company went on a staff trip, visiting interesting companies and we ended the day in the Blue Lagoon, a geo-thermal Lagoon/Spa – a great day out.

What app/programs do you typically use?

I mostly use Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc), I also use statistical software such as SigmaStat, integration software (Origin) and instrumental ones such as Chemstation, Masshunter or Xcalibur.

How do you search for scientific information? How do you manage your bibliography?

I tend to use Web of Science for my research. Sometimes Scopus. I’ve been using Endnote to manage my bibliography.

What are your views on JAAS? Which type of articles do you prefer? Do you miss some content?

I haven’t published anything in JAAS so far, but I’m sure I will submit a manuscript there. It is one of the go to journals for ICP-MS work and many of the articles I read have been published in JAAS.

What do you like and dislike the most about your work?

I think most scientists agree that science can be very frustrating at times when nothing seems to work. Then as soon as things start working you forget all about that.

What I like is the diversity of my days, where I’m sometimes working hard in the lab and at others I’m thinking of new ideas for research projects. I also enjoy writing papers and the idea of getting my research across to other scientists.  I think my work is challenging and great for engaging with other people.

What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time?

I hope to be able to continue in my line of work and I would like to still work on my own research. I would be happy to be here at Matís in Iceland, the research facilities have grown recently with new instrumentation and I would like to familiarize myself with them with the prospect of using them for my work. I believe I would enjoy to manage different projects and supervise students.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab?

In my free time I hang out with family and friends, often trying to convince people to play board games with me. I play the clarinet and the piano as well. I also like to go climbing (bouldering) every now and then. Now that I have moved back to Iceland I try to the nice warm swimming pools as often as I can. They are lovely.

Thanks a lot, Ásta, and all the best for 2015!

Today, we interview Bastian Franze, who is currently finishing his PhD in the University of Münster, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Carsten Engelhard.

Bastian in his lab in Münster

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?

Already as a child it became clear that science will be my passion. I was interested in many things that had to do with life science, environment, and technology. Later in school, more in-depth questions began to arise regarding the principles of nature and the theories and rules that apply. Especially the question about the composition of matter bothered me intensively, which led me to the decision to choose chemistry as a major in school and also as my major at university. Later on, my interest and curiosity in the analytical science was renewed due to an Analytical Chemistry course, offered by Prof. Uwe Karst. Just before the end of my studies I had the opportunity to do a research internship at the University of California in Davis in Prof. Hammock’s lab. I immediately liked the independent work on a specific research topic and enjoyed implementing own ideas.

Why did you choose your research group/University and what factors influenced your choice?

I chose the University of Münster mainly for two reasons. First, being able to study at one of the biggest universities in the country which is especially known for its scientific departments makes me proud and additionally boosted my motivation. Second, Münster as a city and the surroundings are very attractive for students as well as employees. The city is rich of history, culture, nightlife, and entertainment events. On the other hand the various recreation and sporting areas provide opportunities to keep your energy up.

With the renowned chemistry background, Münster has many research groups working on interesting topics. Carsten Engelhard as an up-and-coming scientist kindly offered me a position in his group where I could pursue my research in elemental analysis.

Can you explain a bit the purpose of your current research activities?

My research focuses on nanoparticle characterization with ICP-MS. As nanoparticles are nowadays applied more and more frequently, the analytical community has an obligation to develop methods capable of detecting small amounts of those particles in a variety of matrices in order to have tools available for risk assessment. During my studies, I dealt with the further development of the so called single particle detection methodology, where the detection of single nanoparticles reveals information about critical properties like size distribution and composition. As an application, I studied the dissolution behavior of silver nanoparticles in cell culture media. Moreover I developed a method for speciation of nanoparticle suspensions using capillary electrophoresis coupled to ICP-MS. For example, it is possible to detect and size nanoparticles in the presence of ionic species in the same sample.

As a side project in collaboration with Dr. Wolfgang Buscher, a low-argon-flow torch for an ICP-MS system was coupled to a gas chromatograph. Sensitive mercury speciation with drastically reduced argon consumption of around 1 L/min was feasible.

How is a typical day in your lab?

I normally start with setting up the parts needed and getting everything running. As some of the instruments are frequently used and run almost 24/7, one really needs to structure analysis time and plan experiments. After experiments are performed successfully, I evaluate the raw data in the office or use the off-lab time for writing or preparing texts and presentations. During the semester there is a group meeting once a week in which all group members frequently present their research activities, report on the participation of a recent conference or practice the presentation of poster or talks at a conference. Around 4 pm the group meets for coffee break to discuss or just chat.

What common activities are organized in your research group?

Apart from the weekly seminars in which we can present our recent results and discuss problems or ideas we organize some social events every now and then. This includes football training, breakfast, and barbecue. Additionally, if group members arrive or leave or guests come over for research activities or visits we arrange group dinners and celebrate the achievement of a degree or publication of a scientific paper.

What app/programs do you typically use?

For writing and presentation of results I commonly use the usual suspects Word and Powerpoint. For data evaluation and treatment I really prefer Origin as it exhibits almost all functions needed for the kind of data treatment I perform. Data evaluation of microscopic pictures is performed with ImageJ. I also use CorelDRAW and Photoshop for editing graphics and figures.

How do you search for scientific information? How do you manage your bibliography?

Generally, I look for specific publications via Web of Science, Google Scholar or SciFinder. To keep myself up to date I also have subscribed to RSS feeds of various journals. If I am interested in papers and if they are relevant for my own research, I normally categorize them in my EndNote library to have them readily available.

What are your views on JAAS? Which type of articles do you prefer? Do you miss some content?

The JAAS is one of the journals I visit the most. I really like the mix of papers dealing with fundamental research, studies about applications of various techniques for a variety of samples, as well as themed issues. In addition, I frequently take a look at the JAAS News blog to read about conference announcements or summaries, and highlighted papers.

What do you like and dislike the most about your work?

I like my colleagues, ICP-MS, and coffee breaks. I dislike the canteen. I also like having an idea and getting it to work. I like the working atmosphere and am happy and can call myself lucky to have almost every analytical tool available here to face many analytical problems. I am very thankful to Prof. Uwe Karst, Prof. Carsten Engelhard, and the scholarship programs to carry out research and for being able to attend many important conferences and exchange ideas with or present research results to a broad audience.

I do not like the frustrating part of research in Analytical Chemistry: not working instruments.

What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time?

As I do not have the specific plan for the perfect employment to be in, there may be two or three possibilities. Especially for an analytical chemist, there are many options. First of all, the industrial sector offers great opportunities for graduates especially if one wants to move up the corporate ladder. Besides, the public sector does also offer positions, some of which sound really attractive. I could also see myself in a research institute apart from the academic sector where I can still develop ideas and put them into practice. Anyway, the decision where to go is important and I will definitely reflect the possibilities properly. One important prerequisite for me is to work in a friendly atmosphere and where I really can enjoy my work.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab?

Definitely football. I play, watch, and travel for football. I would say that this is the most time-consuming hobby I have. Besides and especially in football summer and winter break, I love to go snowboarding and travelling or spend time with my girlfriend and my friends. On vacation, I often go hiking, diving or just explore the countryside. I also like to read books, especially crime thrillers, or watch a good movie or TV show.

Thanks a lot Bastian! And congratulations for the World Cup!

Have a look as Bastian’s most recent publication in JAAS:

Today, we interview Ioana Konz, who recently defended her PhD successfully at the University of Oviedo, under the supervision of Dr. Beatriz Fernández-García and Dr. Mª Luisa Fernández Sánchez, and continues working in the research group of Prof. Dr. Alfredo Sanz-Medel.

Ioana in her lab in Oviedo

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?

Both of my parents are chemists, so I suppose the scientific way of thinking was somehow put into my cradle. Furthermore, during the 10th grade in school my chemistry teacher had a very fascinating and inspiring way of explaining chemical phenomena. In contrast to the other Chemistry teachers, who had passed the conventional pedagogical education, he completed his Chemistry studies with a PhD and decided afterwards to dedicate his time to teaching in grammar school sixth form. Maybe because of the different educational background, he showed us another way of understanding Science and I wanted to see the world of Chemistry and all its ramifications through his eyes. That was when I first had the idea of studying Chemistry. The last three years in school, before entering University, strengthened my interest in Natural Sciences, so that finally my choice of studying Chemistry was quite easy.

Why did you choose your research group/University and what factors influenced your choice?

The last year of the Chemistry studies consisted in a 9-months laboratory work on a specific project and writing a report about the obtained results. At that time I had the opportunity to attend a very interesting presentation of Dr. Jörg Bettmer about ICP-MS and its impact on Bioanalytical Chemistry. When it came to the question whether I could carry out my diploma thesis in his research group he agreed but told me at the same time that he was continuing his research work in Spain as a member of the group of Prof. Alfredo Sanz-Medel. Due to the very interesting research topics carried out in his outstanding research group and its excellent reputation in the elemental MS community, after the diploma thesis I decided to extend my stay in the Analytical Spectrometry Group and carry out my Ph.D. in Oviedo

Can you explain a bit the purpose of your current research activities?

My research in Prof. Sanz-Medel’s group is related to the development of new analytical strategies for quantitative and spatially resolved direct solid analysis by LA-ICP-MS. One of the major remaining challenges in LA-ICP-MS analysis is still the reliability of the obtained quantitative data. In this vein, during my Ph.D. my research was focused, on the one hand, on the development of precise and accurate quantification strategies for trace elements in different solid matrices. On the other hand, both in qualitative and quantitative elemental imaging, the correction of the LA-ICP-MS signal for matrix effects, variations in ablated and transported mass and instrumental drifts still presents a great challenge. Thus, investigations on the applicability of several signal normalization approaches for elemental imaging analysis represented an important part of my work.

Having always in mind the idea of improving existing methodologies and instrumentation, and based on the experience gained in this research group throughout the years, finally, but not less important, we designed and assembled of a novel cryogenic laser ablation cell.

Nonetheless, the key for successful and forward-looking research are collaborations between different scientific disciplines as generally carried out in the research group of Prof. Alfredo Sanz-Medel. In my special case these fruitful collaborations were with engineers for the design of the laser ablation cell and with ophthalmologists, building in such way a bridge between Analytical Chemistry and biological fundamentals of ocular diseases.

How is a typical day in your lab?

Recently, I finished my Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, so I consider myself as a senior scientist in the research group. Due to the valuable experience I earned over these years, I spend many hours helping my fellow colleagues, especially young scientists, in planning of experiments and operating analytical instrumentation. Of course, some of the experimental data will be translated into scientific publications. Therefore, the writing of scientific articles is also part of my work. When I’m not in the lab or behind my desk reading articles, I meet with my former supervisors to discuss on projects or collaboration partners.

What common activities are organized in your research group?

In our research group we have weekly meetings where we discuss on scientific topics and organisational issues before a Ph.D. student presents his recent research progress. Afterwards we have valuable discussions about the presentation and the work, where everyone can contribute with new ideas or suggestions. In this way we can stay up-to-date in different lines of investigation, since each student is working on his own project in different fields of research.

Our research group has also a long history in social events. Usually we are organizing a group-dinner before the Christmas vacations and a summer lunch in July. This gives us the possibility to stay in touch with all our colleagues, since some of them are working in other laboratories.

What app/programs do you typically use?

Most of the data treatment as well as the preparation of experiments, such as calculations of solutions etc., is done by MS Excel. For the translation of the LA-ICP-MS row-data into elemental imagines I apply Origin. This program is also used for graphical data. For the processing of pictures, photographs etc. I usually chose Adobe Photoshop.

How do you search for scientific information? How do you manage your bibliography?

Scopus is my first choice for any kind of scientific search. All the downloaded publications are then transferred into a general folder along with Ph.D. thesis or patents. These documents are listed in a special table I generated with Excel. This list presents the name of the document, authors, name of the journal, keywords etc. which facilitates my search for a certain manuscript. Since all entries are linked to the corresponding documents, each one can be opened individually by pushing the hyperlink.

What are your views on JAAS? Which type of articles do you prefer? Do you miss some content?

I published my first article in JAAS. For me as a young scientist this was an honor since JAAS is internationally regarded as one of the leading journals dealing with analytical atomic spectrometry presenting innovative research on the fundamental theory and application of spectrometric techniques. Throughout my Ph.D. it was and still is one of my first choices to look for answers related to questions arising during my scientific work. I cannot really say that I prefer a special type of article as this strongly depends on the current question I am working on. Sometimes I can find the relevant information in a review and sometimes in full papers or technical notes.

What do you like and dislike the most about your work?

I think the experiences gained throughout the Ph.D. were most valuable since they led not only to my scientific but also to my personal formation. What I most like about my work is that it gave me the possibility to strengthen my independent way of thinking as well as the capability to look beyond the own scientific horizon and open the mind for new fields. I cannot really name something that I don’t like about my work, but if I had to choose something that I like less of the scientific work in general, I would say that it is the influence of politics in Science which sometime hampers the development of new ideas and projects.

What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time?

In five years I see myself working in analytical research and development outside the academic sector. I am always searching for new challenges and I am sure that real life will constantly bring up new questions the scientific world can deal with. In this vein, my aim is to contribute positively in this process trying to find solutions which improve man’s life quality.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab?

During these last years I had the privilege to live in a real natural paradise surrounded by high mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, so most of my free time, especially on weekends, I went hiking with my family enjoying the peace and silence in the Nature. I also like to spend time with my friends and family, chatting while having a good meal.

Thanks a lot, Ioana!

Today, we interview Lieve Balcaen, a post-doctoral researcher at Ghent University.

Lieve Balcaen in her lab in Ghent

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?

As a teenager, I realized soon that mathematics and sciences were my favorite subjects at school, rather than languages or history. I like to work with objective facts and numbers and solving problems and equations has always been one of my favorite subjects in school. My specific interest for Chemistry was stirred by my Chemistry teachers. They convinced me of the importance of Chemistry in our daily life and they inspired me to find my own way in this interesting field.

Why did you choose your research group/University and what factors influenced your choice?

The choice for Ghent University was mainly based on the combination of its good reputation and its location close to my hometown.

During my Chemistry studies, I learned that I preferred analyzing samples and results over creating molecules and that’s where my love for instrumental analysis was born. The interesting projects and applications that were presented during a visit to the Atomic & Mass Spectrometry (A&MS) lab, led by Prof. Vanhaecke, and the great atmosphere among the group members, were the most important incentives for me to join the A&MS group.

Can you explain a bit the purpose of your current research activities?

The A&MS research unit mainly focuses on the development of analytical methods, based on ICP-MS and ICP-OES for the determination, speciation and isotopic analysis of a huge variety of sample types. Most of our research projects originate in an analytical problem encountered by colleagues from other fields (medical doctors, archeologists, ecotoxicologists, geologists, biologists etc.) or industrial partners. After discussing the problem and the pros and contras of the technique, we try to develop sensitive and accurate methods that allow us to meet the needs of our partners and simultaneously, give us the opportunity to explore the capabilities of the different instruments we have at our availability in the lab.

How is a typical day in your lab?

What I like most about my job, is that there is no “typical day” in the lab. While for several years, my days mostly consisted of sample preparation in the lab, analyses with one of our instruments or evaluating data, nowadays I am evolving more and more in the direction of guiding PhD-students and the more “administrative” part of the job (fund raising, management, etc.).

Next to research, I am also involved in lecturing at the university. My main task here is to teach bachelor students in Chemistry how to deal with problems in Analytical Chemistry, such as pH calculations, solubility, potentials, … and the basic principles of spectroscopic analysis. As a member of the Chemistry educational board, I also try to contribute to the quality of training of the future generations of chemists.

What common activities are organized in your research group?

Some of my colleagues are really good at organizing social activities, so every year we have a barbecue, a Christmas party and a teambuilding activity in our department. On a regular basis we give small receptions to welcome new group members and most people also bring treats to work for their birthday. Once a year, we go out for dinner with all A&MS-members. These activities are a good way to strengthen the link between colleagues, also on a personal level.

How do you search for scientific information? How do you manage your bibliography?

Whenever I need scientific information, I start my search via the Web of Science (and more recently also Google Scholar).

To keep track of my own publications, I use a personal Excel-document that we can easily extract from the bibliography-page of our university (based on the Web of Science; combined with own input for the most recent papers).

When writing a scientific paper, I generally make use of Reference Manager or Endnote to include references and generate a bibliography.

What are your views on JAAS? Which type of articles do you prefer? Do you miss some content?

Since the start of my scientific career, I have considered JAAS as one of the most important journals in my research field, because it is really dedicated to Atomic Spectrometry and therefore contains a lot of detailed information about the subjects I am really interested in.

Review articles are generally a good and fast way to get launched into a new project, but of course, the original research papers contain more valuable information on what and how to perform the actual work.

What do you like and dislike the most about your work?

I really like the combination of research, management and education and I realize that a university lab is the ideal place for that.

What I dislike the most, is that students come and go (typically 4 years PhD), and that it is sometimes hard to ensure continuity in projects and knowledge transfer. And I guess we all know those frustrating days when instruments seem to work against you rather than for you.

What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time?

I really hope that I will still be around in this research field and that by then, the future of my scientific career will be a bit more ‘clear’.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab?

Most of my time ‘outside of the lab’, I spend with my husband and kids. With 2 preschoolers at home, there is not much time left for hobbies, but whenever I can make some time, you’ll find me with my guitar, my sewing machine, talking with friends or walking around for some treasure hunting (geocaching).

Thanks a lot for your time, Lieve! Have a look at Lieve’s latest articles published in JAAS!

Today we interview Yeuki Tsoi, a Post-Doctoral Scientist at the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)

Yeuki in her lab in Hong Kong

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?

I have always been curious about everything and asking questions since I was little. What truly inspired me (as a pre-teen) was a children’s encyclopedia which my dad got me. I found myself so fascinated by all the fun facts about Nature – Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, etc.. It was later when I grew an interest in Forensics and started to dig related reference books from libraries. Since then, I have been very enthusiastic about Analytical Science; also Chemistry was always my best grade in school, so it became so natural for me to go after it all the way. In this, I cannot thank enough my parents for being so supportive to my pursuit of interest.

Why did you choose your research group/University and what factors influenced your choice?

While I was in my UG final year working on a synthetic chemistry project, I confirmed that I am more an “AnalChem” type of student. My interest in it is so obvious because I am always happier performing chemical tests and working with machines. I was therefore on the lookout for relevant PhD programs and HKBU, with particular strength in Analytical Chemistry, was clearly the reasonable choice. I feel very fortunate to have joined Dr. Kelvin Leung’s group; besides he is the best mentor I ever met, it is also because I am especially interested in his speciation-themed projects. Elemental speciation was a developing skill in Hong Kong’s testing industry. It is nothing more satisfying and exciting than knowing what you do is so relevant to local applications.

Can you explain a bit the purpose of your current research activities?

My research in Dr. Leung’s group is mostly related to trace analysis and elemental speciation. After my PhD (when I have worked more on material and methodology development), lately our team is moving towards more advanced spectrometric applications, which require collaborations between different scientific disciplines. Together with a group of HKBU physicists, we have recently explored the synergistic application of ICP-MS and PLEAF in forensic analysis of laser printed documents by making use of the elemental signatures in printer toners. Currently, our team is dedicating much effort and instrumental resources to the pharmacokinetic study of metal-based drugs in vivo. Using LA-ICP-MS, we extract elemental maps from biological tissue sections and construct a time-resolved distribution profile. This project is an essential step for drug development in that it delivers a better understanding in the regent’s Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) within the system.

Besides these projects, I act also as a project manager behind a couple on-going environmental research projects in this group. I am happy with the range of exposure to different analytical areas, especially those related to emerging contaminants (e.g. artificial sweeteners and UV filters) of which the latent chronic impacts (arising from transformation and degradation) should deserve more attention.

How is a typical day in your lab?

During my earlier days of intensive lab work, I usually start with getting my instruments initialized and warm-up as early as possible, followed by long hours of sample preparation and measurement. Lately, as I become more senior in this group I am assigned to coach newer members and to support and coordinate several current projects. My other duties usually get done at the desk by planning new research projects, writing grant proposals, preparing publication manuscripts, etc. Between hours of independent work, my schedule is packed with discussions with my teammates and meetings with collaboration partners.

What common activities are organized in your research group?

There are regular group meetings where students take turns to present their work progress. Since our group is known for its diversity in research themes, it is always helpful and inspiring to hear constructive comments and thoughts from fellow teammates who are working in entirely different areas of Analytical Science (e.g. environmental, clinical, food, materials, TCM).

Beside these formal meetings, our supervisor would sometimes like to take us out for lunch at restaurants nearby. Those are good times when all members gather to have some fun chats.

On a more irregular schedule, our group members will take a day off from their routine and go out on an environmental sampling trip for a change. Once or twice per year, we rent a boat to cruise around the coastline of Hong Kong and grab marine samples for the environmental projects. All of us, including those not on these projects, will lend some help and get to learn something new in this process. The nature-kissing field trip sounds like a lot of fun; the truth is: it is not always easy, especially when sea-sickness kicks in.

What app/programs do you typically use?

Besides using MS Excels for basic treatments, our trace element team also uses Igor/Iolite, MatLab and ImageJ to reduce massive data and to generate elemental maps. Photoshop is my personal favorite to produce graphic illustrations for publication.

How do you search for scientific information? How do you manage your bibliography?

I like to use Web of Science, Scopus and more rarely PubMed for bibliographic reviews. I am not used to utilize any reference management software. What I usually do is to categorize them into different folders and I can always look them up by searching the keywords.

What are your views on JAAS? Which type of articles do you prefer? Do you miss some content?

JAAS is the most relevant journal to my own element/speciation research and I can usually find answers from JAAS articles to my questions. What I like about JAAS is the range of publication types available to authors/readers and the fact that each type has a clearly defined objective. This allows authors to go easily for the one that suits the style, depth and scale of their work. My own favorites are technical notes and perspectives; both presentations are short but they deliver the most useful tactics and insightful commentary that somehow we usually miss out in full paper, even in reviews.

What do you like and dislike the most about your work?

There is in fact a lot I like about my current work. First, since I am taking up more paperwork and project management duties, I have earned much greater exposure to fields other than my original stream of research. There is a lot to learn from different research philosophies in Environmental and Food Chemistry. Secondly, my work in project planning certainly puts me through a growing process which has given me new perspectives on seeing and analyzing a scientific issue. What I feel not very comfortable about is the lesser time I spent at the working bench. I just miss the indulgent life of pure experimental work.

What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time?

In five years, I see myself continuing my profession in analytical research and development, outside of the academic circle, hopefully in public sector. It would mean a lot to me that my work renders true functional/reference value to local services and contributes a greater benefit to the society. But, I am also open to any possibilities that life brings me.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab?

I used to like cooking and making desserts but I am kind of exhausted (chemists tend to try too hard to make all procedures and proportions perfect, this obsession can be quite stressful). I prefer enjoying music to relax; my favorites are Jazz, Blues, and original movie soundtracks. I am also an active swimmer and an avid beach-goer.

Thanks a lot, Yeuki! Have a look at Yeuki’s latest article published in JAAS:

Today, we interview Raquel Sánchez Romero, a Post-Doctoral Scientist at Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, JRC, EC.

Raquel in his lab in Geel, Belgium

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?

Although I was interested in Math when I was a child, after my participation in a “Chemistry Olympics” during my last high school year I decided to study Chemistry. There I realized how Chemistry could be the key to explain many things that awoke my curiosity.

Why did you choose your research group/University and what factors influenced your choice?

I have to admit that research was not among my first interests until I started working on it. It was during the last year of my degree at the University of Alicante (Spain), when I had my first contact with research. And I discovered my vocation. Under the supervision of Prof. José Luis Todolí, I started to apply ICP-OES for the analysis of organic matrices. This project had a direct application in real life and thus was the main factor to decide to continue and I started my PhD. It was a project in collaboration with the IFP-Energies nouvelles (Lyon, France), under the supervision of Dr. Lienemann. It focused on the investigation of possible solutions to the day-to-day problems in the analysis of petroleum, its derivatives and biofuels by ICP techniques.

Can you explain a bit the purpose of your current research activities?

As project manager, I am currently working on the development, production and certification of reference materials in the area of environmental science. Moreover, I am currently working in the development and validation of methods for the analysis of environmental samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

How is a typical day in your lab?

I cannot say I really have a typical day in my job, since I have many different tasks and projects to manage. So depending of the day-to-day priorities, I schedule my work focusing on the method development and therefore the tasks of the lab or on the coordination of my projects. If I have to work in the lab, I usually arrive pretty early. I try to prepare everything to start measuring early. So I am able to analyze the results before going home. In this way I am able to plan the lab work for the next day. However, if I have to spend my day at my desk, I normally come a bit later and I work until late. I am more creative after my coffee around 10 in the morning. So I spend my first hour and a half working on easy tasks.

What common activities are organized in your research group?

There are two types of activities, those linked to the work as CRM development producer and those, outside working hours, orientated towards the integration of all the staff. With regard to the first ones, for instance different meetings are organized from general meetings, such as unit meetings, to the more specific ones, such as laboratory meetings or group meetings. Moreover, different trainings are offered.

Regarding the social activities, the unit organised two special meals during the year and a special day with the families. Also, whenever there is someone’s birthday, we bring cakes to celebrate it. My institution organizes several social events throughout the year such as a summer barbecue, an end-of-the-year party … Also there are different social clubs (bowling, volleyball, cooking …) that you can join if you like.

What app/programs do you typically use?

Besides Microsoft Office tools, I use the software specific to the instruments. Also, I use the program SoftCRM, a special software for evaluation data from reference material certifications. I use End Note for the management of my references. Presently, I am working with the program R to make some statistical analysis.

How do you search for scientific information? How do you manage your bibliography?

I am subscribed to email alerts of several journals, so I can keep up with all the latest papers. When I am looking for a particular paper, I normally use the Web of Science. Then, I organized my bibliography using End Notes. I order the papers by subject in different End Notes libraries.

What are your views on JAAS? Which type of articles do you prefer? Do you miss some content?

JAAS is one of my reference journals. I started to follow it from the beginning of my career as researcher. As one of the most important journals in my field, it covers almost all the areas related to atomic spectrometry and lists the most recent and important jobs. Not only I have followed the journal as a reader, most of my papers have been published in this journal. What I like the best is that there is no limitation on figures, tables and pages allowing the authors to present all the data necessary to support the main results.

What do you like and dislike the most about your work?

I am considering myself a lucky person because I can work on what I like. Of course, the part I enjoy the most is working in the laboratory. I enjoy that not all days are the same. I enjoy new challenges to analyze and try to solve them. Like many people in this field, the part that I dislike more is the administrative paperwork. Moreover, I really like working in an international environment. I have the opportunity to meet people from around the world and learn new cultures… What I dislike is being away from my family.

What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time?

This is a tricky question. I like the fact that my days are not all equal. I like the new challenges, I like asking me why… And, I think that only when you do research you are confronted with this. So I hope to continue working in this field. Moreover, the combination of research and teaching would be perfect. My greatest wish would be to obtain a Professor position and to transmit my enthusiasm for science.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab?

The truth is I’m pretty active in my free time. I like sports, so I go to the gym, running, trekking and I occasionally play basketball. Also I use part of my free time to improve and complete my training, for example my language skills. I like going out, travelling, reading, cooking… I am part of the cooking and bowling club of my institution.

Thanks, Raquel! Keep up with the good work on CRMs, we all need them!

Have a look at the latests articles of Raquel in JAAS:

Quantification of nickel, vanadium and manganese in petroleum products and biofuels through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometryequipped with a high temperature single pass spray chamber

Raquel Sánchez, Carlos Sánchez, José Luis Todolí, Charles-Philippe Lienemann and Jean-Michel Mermet

Today, we interview Ariane Donard, a PhD student who carries out her research at the University of pau and pays de l’adour and at the French Nuclear Energy Agency (CEA), under the supervision of Dr. Christophe Peycheran and Dr. Fabien Pointurier.

Ariane in his lab in Pau, France

Who or what inspired you to become a scientist?
I always liked science class as a student and believe that being a scientist would fit my personality well because I think it requires curiosity, patience and pugnacity. There is also no doubt that my father had a great influence on my desire to become a scientist. My father is an analytical and environmental chemist specialized in speciation. He is very passionate about his job and very enthusiastic when he talks about it. I have caught the research bug!

Why did you choose your research group/University and what factors influenced your choice?

After graduating, I worked as an engineer for a year realizing then that I wasn’t completely satisfied with my job. I thought research would fit me better so I started to look for a PhD program. I spent a year in Sweden as a student where I got the chance to work on the coupling of laser ablation and ICP MS and started to appreciate the potential of this technique. So, when I heard Christophe Pecheyran had a PhD position on this subject in collaboration with Fabien Pointurier from the CEA (French nuclear energy agency), I jumped on the opportunity. Another reason that made me choose this PhD program is the availability of great analytical equipment in those laboratories.

Can you explain a bit the purpose of you current research activities?
I work for the French nuclear energy agency. I try to develop methodologies to use LA-ICP-MS for different applications of interest to the agency. I am currently working on a challenging particle analysis dealing with an extremely low quantity of analyte, which produces a very short signal. Another part of my research is to study “laser-material interaction” by evaluating the influence of very high frequency (up to 100 000 Hz) with different wavelengths on ablation. For this, I use a prototype femtoseconde laser being developed in collaboration between my team and NEXEYA, a French company when I work in Pau. I also spend some time of the year in the CEA laboratory, close to Paris where I use a nanosecond laser UV.
How is a typical day in your lab?
When I conduct experiment, I start by turning on the instruments and checking that there is no problem before going to our laser group “kick off of the day” coffee meeting. We are a small group of two postdoc, our chief and me. This morning meeting is a very important moment of day in the lab because we talk about what we will be doing or discuss problems we may have encountered. The rest of the day is typically divided between running experiments and computer work.
What common activities are organized in your research group?
What I really like in our laboratory’s activity is the lunch seminar every other Friday. A person of the lab: a professor, an assistant, a post doc, or a PhD presents one of his research topic for 45 min. It is really interesting because it gives us an insight on all the areas of on-going research in the laboratory. The presentation is followed by a discussion that is always very constructive because people specialized in other fields can give us other perspectives on our own work. After that we all share lunch which is a great opportunity to get to know our coworkers and really help foster a nice atmosphere in the lab.
What are your views on JAAS? Which type of articles do you prefer? Do you miss some content?
JAAS has been one of the reference journals for my bibliography since the beginning of my PhD. I follow actively papers on LA-ICP-MS but also on particle analysis in general. I like the “technical notes” articles that are very useful when you start an experiment and can help you to develop the method.
How do you search for scientific information? How do you manage your bibliography?
At the beginning of the PhD, I did extensive research on laser ablation publication. I mostly use general database like web of knowledge, Scopus. I also check all the reviews in my field and verify that all the journals cited are accessible from the databases I use. I set-up different alerts with key words and also names of famous authors in my field to be up to date on the latest on laser ablation mass spectrometry field.
What app/programs do you typically use?
To write documents, presentation or compiling data I use Microsoft Office pack. I manage my bibliography with Mendeley, it’s really convenient to access to all your files from any computer.
What do you like and dislike the most about your work?
As I said before my experience as an engineer really helps me to see the bright side of the PhD. It’s really nice to have the chance to develop our own subject, to be focused on just one goal. I feel really lucky to work surrounded by experienced persons and to have access to such powerful instruments. I like the fact that we are challenged all the time. Once you find an answer on a subject a new one is always popping up. The part I dislike the most is when the instruments are unstable and you could spend a whole day to get them to work properly.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I would hope to be back in France after some postdoc abroad. I would love to work for a few years in a foreign lab. It’s very enriching to discover different methods of work, different cultures. I would like to continue in the research field possibly the public sector but I don’t rule out the industrial sector at this point. Working for example in an analytical laboratory at developing new analytical methods could be a nice job.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the lab?
I like my job but I also like my life outside the lab! I have a lot of activities when I’m not at work. I take dance and guitar classes and I’m playing in a band. I think it’s important to take your mind off the work to be even more concentrated during the day. Of course during a PhD, there are very busy periods when you have to put aside your activities for a while and stay focus on your work but I always try to find a balance.

Many thanks for sharing your views with us, Ariane, and be careful with the research bug!