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.
Researchers from Sciensano, partner of the DARWIN project, have published a new paper in npj Science of Food addressing one of the key scientific and regulatory challenges linked to genome-edited (GE) organisms, their reliable ...
Biotechnology
May 27, 2026
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The mechanism of high-temperature (TC) superconductivity is a key challenge in condensed matter physics. Recently, Chinese scientists made significant progress in the study of high-TC nickelate superconductors.
Condensed Matter
May 22, 2026
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58
As modern technologies shrink to the nanoscale, surfaces increasingly dictate how materials deform, yield, and fail. Yet probing this regime has long been hindered by the challenge of preparing and controlling surfaces with ...
Nanomaterials
May 13, 2026
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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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96
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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30
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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