Sample preparation is a fundamental laboratory technique encompassing all procedures required to convert a raw specimen into a form suitable for analytical measurement or experimental manipulation, while preserving analyte integrity and representativeness. It typically includes sampling, homogenization, separation, purification, concentration, and, when necessary, chemical derivatization. Methods vary by matrix and analytical modality (e.g., filtration, centrifugation, extraction, digestion, or fixation for microscopy), and are optimized to minimize contamination, losses, matrix effects, and chemical transformations. Rigorous sample preparation is critical for achieving accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and reproducibility in techniques such as chromatography, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, and molecular biology assays.
Discovered in 2019, the material known as nickelates has intrigued researchers for its potential to become a superconductor at elevated temperatures—a property that could significantly advance such fields as quantum science ...
Superconductivity
Apr 27, 2026
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Although the fundamental constitutive laws for steel and concrete were established more than a century ago, weak layers in snow remain a mystery. There are currently two theories about how they fail. A study published in ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 15, 2026
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The IBeA group of the EHU-University of the Basque Country is proposing new measures to safeguard the purity of extraterrestrial samples. Several contaminants, including traces of ink, originating in the preparation of subsamples, ...
Astrobiology
Apr 14, 2026
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For years, scientists have dreamed of using atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) materials to build faster, more efficient photonic chips. These materials can be stacked and tuned with extraordinary precision, opening possibilities ...
Optics & Photonics
Apr 13, 2026
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93
A team led by scientists at the National Graphene Institute (NGI) at The University of Manchester has developed the first technique capable of capturing atomic‑resolution videos of individual gold atoms 'dancing' across a ...
Nanomaterials
Apr 2, 2026
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Understanding gene expression within the body has been a boon for 21st century biology and therapeutics, but most discoveries that use these technologies only focus on one organ or one small area of tissue. At the University ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 27, 2026
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It seems like every day a new study finds tiny plastic particles called microplastics where they should not be: in our bodies and our food, water and air.
Environment
Mar 26, 2026
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A high-pressure method of instantaneously freezing cells has proven to be effective in the first empirical validation of its kind. Through further development, the method holds promise in finding broad applications in regenerative ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 23, 2026
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The blobfish, once considered the ugliest animal in the world, has since had quite the redemption arc. Years after it was first discovered, scientists realized that the deep-sea creature appeared so unnervingly blobby only ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 23, 2026
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Controlling light at the micro- and nanoscale opens up opportunities for a better understanding of the world and the development of technology. As modern electronics approaches the limits of its capabilities, photonics comes ...
Nanophysics
Mar 19, 2026
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