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.
Scientists have unveiled a new fabrication technique for the ultra-clean manufacturing of 2D heterostructures—materials just a few atoms thick—that could be used in quantum technology and electronics. Experts from Southampton ...
Nanomaterials
8 hours ago
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A new Tufts University imaging facility is doing something that most microscopy centers in the world cannot: allowing scientists to examine a butterfly wing, a living tissue or a microchip and reveal its physical structure, ...
Nanomaterials
Jul 10, 2026
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6
Embedded in the boundary between the inside and outside of each cell are membrane proteins. They act as first responders by sensing signals, regulating which molecules enter and leave the cell, and enabling cells to quickly ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 2, 2026
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Chiral 2D metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are among the most promising materials for future technologies that exploit the spin of electrons in spin-based optoelectronics, or spintronics, but getting them to perform consistently ...
Condensed Matter
Jun 25, 2026
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11
Diamonds have long been coveted for their beauty. Their dazzling color and clarity make them perfect candidates for luxury jewelry. However, it's their other unique characteristics, including their hardness, thermal conductivity ...
General Physics
Jun 24, 2026
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Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can help scientists determine the three-dimensional structure of proteins in unprecedented detail. Jacques Dubochet, former group leader at EMBL, shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 23, 2026
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Medications can save lives, yet for some drugs, the concentration in a patient's bloodstream determines whether a treatment is effective or whether harmful side effects may occur. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Photonic ...
Bio & Medicine
Jun 23, 2026
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How large, fully folded proteins can pass through cell membranes without destroying them has long been one of the open questions in cell biology. Using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), Leonid Sazanov and Ziyu Zhao at the ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 22, 2026
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10
Nearly 100 years ago, a seemingly simple discovery revolutionized the microscope. The introduction of phase contrast, which garnered a Nobel Prize in 1953, brought into clear view structures inside cells that had previously ...
Optics & Photonics
Jun 11, 2026
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55
A research team in Japan has developed an efficient, minimally invasive cancer detection device that uses high-performance zinc oxide nanowires to selectively capture extracellular vesicles (EVs) from bodily fluids.
Bio & Medicine
Jun 11, 2026
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