The field of Analytical Science research has grown rapidly in the last two decades, mainly because of various nanomaterials with interesting properties (such as fluorescence, absorption, conductivity, catalytic activity, and biological functionality), but also thanks to the development of many sensitive, selective, simple, and rapid techniques for analyzing chemicals and biochemical systems. These advanced techniques have been widely applied in biomedical and diagnostics, environmental and pharmaceutical analysis, optical and electrochemical sensing and imaging systems, and forensics.
The increasingly dynamic nature of Analytical Science research and innovation, coupled with the breadth and depth of interest and activity, is generating a huge global output of papers and other scientific literature. This makes it progressively more difficult to identify key barriers to advancement, major unrealized opportunities, and challenges that the community is not addressing. Mapping this complex intellectual landscape to identify these opportunities and challenges is a daunting but vitally important task, as it can identify dead-end directions as well as fundamental challenges with game-changing potential.
This type of strategic “Prospective” forum is generally missing in the literature, the overwhelming focus being on the “now” (research articles) and “retrospective” review articles. To address this gap, Frontiers in Analytical Science has assembled a group of globally acknowledged leaders in Analytical Science research and innovation, researchers with decades of experience and contributions to their field that have been of the highest quality throughout their careers. We will also include a number of young, emerging leaders in Analytical Science research to complement the more established contributors. We have invited these ‘thought leaders’ to speculate on key challenges and unrealized opportunities that require a fundamental advance in the associated science, which, if achieved, could profoundly improve our world. In this way, we aim to build a resource of unique value to researchers and innovators, a resource that will grow and develop and will encourage debate in this fascinating arena of human endeavor.
The field of Analytical Science research has grown rapidly in the last two decades, mainly because of various nanomaterials with interesting properties (such as fluorescence, absorption, conductivity, catalytic activity, and biological functionality), but also thanks to the development of many sensitive, selective, simple, and rapid techniques for analyzing chemicals and biochemical systems. These advanced techniques have been widely applied in biomedical and diagnostics, environmental and pharmaceutical analysis, optical and electrochemical sensing and imaging systems, and forensics.
The increasingly dynamic nature of Analytical Science research and innovation, coupled with the breadth and depth of interest and activity, is generating a huge global output of papers and other scientific literature. This makes it progressively more difficult to identify key barriers to advancement, major unrealized opportunities, and challenges that the community is not addressing. Mapping this complex intellectual landscape to identify these opportunities and challenges is a daunting but vitally important task, as it can identify dead-end directions as well as fundamental challenges with game-changing potential.
This type of strategic “Prospective” forum is generally missing in the literature, the overwhelming focus being on the “now” (research articles) and “retrospective” review articles. To address this gap, Frontiers in Analytical Science has assembled a group of globally acknowledged leaders in Analytical Science research and innovation, researchers with decades of experience and contributions to their field that have been of the highest quality throughout their careers. We will also include a number of young, emerging leaders in Analytical Science research to complement the more established contributors. We have invited these ‘thought leaders’ to speculate on key challenges and unrealized opportunities that require a fundamental advance in the associated science, which, if achieved, could profoundly improve our world. In this way, we aim to build a resource of unique value to researchers and innovators, a resource that will grow and develop and will encourage debate in this fascinating arena of human endeavor.