Themed collection Analytical Methods Review Articles 2026

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is increasingly emerging as a pivotal analytical technique in the field of clinical diagnostics.

Salivary metabolomics offers a low-burden biochemical layer for athlete monitoring, but translation requires standardized analytical workflows suitable for repeated real-world use.

Multi-omics analytical workflows integrating diverse biospecimens, advanced separation platforms, and chemometric modeling are reshaping the discovery of robust biomarkers for exercise-induced muscle damage and recovery.

This review explores the emerging role of wearable electrochemical biosensors as non-invasive tools for sport doping control, emphasizing sweat and saliva as complementary biofluid platforms for real-time and longitudinal monitoring.

Spatial context is becoming increasingly important in the omics disciplines.

Fingerprinting combined with chemometrics: new strategies and advances in quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine.

This review summarizes ambient ionization mass spectrometry-enabled workflows for rapid, minimally prepared screening and confirmatory identification of illegal pharmaceutical adulterants in traditional Chinese medicine products.

This review surveys recent advances in glycoRNA detection methods, in terms of principles, applications, strengths and limitations, and sketches the key challenges and future development directions.

This minireview summarizes the latest MOG-based fluorescent sensing advances via a “foundation-design-mechanism-application” framework, providing a comprehensive reference for researchers designing, optimizing and translating these platforms.

Advances in proteomics are reshaping our understanding of cancer biology by enabling the direct quantification of proteins and their modifications in complex biological systems.

Schematic of one-pot isothermal amplification–CRISPR/Cas detection. Targets are amplified (RPA 37–42 °C or LAMP 60–65 °C), followed by Cas-mediated trans-cleavage to generate signals via reporter cleavage, enabling flexible readouts.

Microfluidic technologies isolate rare circulating tumor cells through physical, affinity-based and surface-engineered strategies, enabling downstream molecular analysis and clinical translation.

This work reviews SERS substrate preparation and optimization strategies, and recent advances (2020-present) in SERS for pesticide residue detection in food, including principles, adaptation strategies, advantages, limitations, and solutions.

FPIA is a detection technique derived from Perrin's equation. It is advanced through tracer and recognition element design. Integration with modern analytical methods is recommended.

Engineering metal nanoclusters via post-synthetic and in situ strategies enhances stability and photoluminescence while enabling new functionalities. This review critically evaluates these approaches, associated properties, and applications.

Summarizing the development of NACs from fabrication strategies and enzymatic activities to applications of in vitro diagnostics.

Deep learning-empowered SERS decodes multidimensional biochemical information from complex biological samples. Integrating spectral processing and AI analysis, this review addresses strategies, challenges and prospects for clinical SERS-AI systems.

Anti-idiotypic antibodies can simulate the functions of antigens and serve as replacements for antigens or toxin standards in mycotoxin detection immunoassays. These assays are referred to as “green immunoassays”.

Optical spectroscopy combined with chemometric modeling enables non-invasive cholesterol quantification through spectral fingerprinting of skin tissue. This review evaluates analytical performance, challenges, and trans-lational potential.

This review elucidates optical sensor array design principles for pesticide detection by analyzing six core classes of sensing elements: label-free nanoparticles, chemosensors, host–guest systems, enzymes, antibodies, and aptamers.

Scanning ion conductance microscopy provides unique insight into mechanical properties of living cells. It has found applications in drug screening and studying cancer, blood, neuronal and muscle cells and organoids.

CRISPR Cas-based biosensors for food safety—Cas9, Cas12, Cas13a and Cas14 enable programmable recognition and readouts for pathogens, GMOs, food fraud, and chemical hazards (toxins, metals, antibiotics, pesticides).

KPFM nanoscale mapping of surface potential and cellular charges, revealing bioelectrical properties in cells and biomolecules, bridging nanoscale electrical properties, from membrane potentials to protein interactions, with biological function.

This review aims to (1) summarize methods for sampling and characterizing atmospheric microplastics, (2) evaluate their environmental prevalence and health hazards, (3) highlight gaps in toxicological research, and (4) suggest mitigation strategies.

By bridging experimental processes with computational and data-driven approaches, this review outlines emerging strategies that promote smart molecular recognition in MIP-based sensors for the analysis of chemical contaminants in food.

Analytical mass spectrometry is used to study a variety of analytes, including metabolites, lipids, pharmaceutical compounds, pesticides, petroleum, proteins, protein complexes, nucleic acids, and glycans, across a wide range of research fields.

This study applies a comprehensive MS-based glycomics workflow, supported by advanced bioinformatics, to resolve complex glycan structures for biomedical applications. Figure created in BioRender; glycan structures generated using GlycoWorkbench 2.0.

This paper explores various fabrication techniques, advances in material development, and strategies to enhance sensor feedback and responsiveness through the function-context-behavior-principle-state-structure (FCBPSS) framework.

This review summarizes current evidence on low-cost particulate matter (PM) sensors for indoor and occupational environments and proposes a framework that links performance evaluation, calibration, and uncertainty to decision-making.