JAAS News

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!