Researchers are shining a new light on the power – and pitfalls – of infrared spectroscopy for analyzing complex biological samples.
Traditionally, infrared spectroscopy has served as a central tool in analytical sciences and industry, allowing for studying individual molecules and identifying substances in samples with relatively simple molecular compositions. However, when applied to complex biological samples, overlapping absorption signals from diverse biomolecules can complicate the interpretation of spectra.
Through years of multidisciplinary efforts, the BIRD (Broadband Infrared Diagnostic) team at attoworld has been establishing infrared spectroscopy experimentally by molecular profiling of cell-free blood. In a fresh Scientific Perspective, the BIRD team discusses how traditional methods of interpreting infrared spectra may oversimplify the rich mixture of molecules in biofluids. They emphasize that while infrared spectra of cell-free blood can be highly specific to certain health conditions, capturing a physiological “fingerprint,” IR spectroscopy of complex samples is better suited for recognizing patterns than for identifying molecule-specific structures based on individual absorption peaks.
Interested to learn more? Read our Scientific Perspective article just published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. If you prefer German, we have also prepared a German version of the article.
Illustration: Tarek Eissa & Mihaela Žigman
Original publication (in English):
The Perils of Molecular Interpretations from Vibrational Spectra of Complex Samples
T. Eissa, L. Voronina, M. Huber, F. Fleischmann & M. Žigman
Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., e202411596 (2024)
Original publication (in German):
Die Herausforderungen der molekularen Interpretationen von Infrarotspektren komplexer Proben
T. Eissa, L. Voronina, M. Huber, F. Fleischmann & M. Žigman
Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., e202411596 (2024)
