Spectroscopy

Spectroscopy is a fundamental analytical technique that focuses on the measurement of unique electromagnetic spectra absorbed or emitted by atoms, ions, and molecules. Much of what is known today about the structure and composition of molecules, including biomolecules such as nucleic acids and polypeptides, are owed to spectroscopic analyses. It is a broad research area from which more specialized instrumentation has come forth, distinguished by the nature of interaction with radiative energy and a given sample. While spectroscopy has centered on light spectra in its early days, it has since evolved to also include the analysis of ions (mass spectrometry), molecular rotations, vibrations, and electron states (molecular spectroscopy), among others.

What are examples of spectroscopy equipment used in life science?

A diverse set of spectroscopy instruments are manufactured today, including spectrometers, spectrophotometers, spectrographs, and spectral analyzers. Below are some examples:

• Atomic absorption spectrometer - uses light irradiation and sample atomization to determine the concentration of elements in a given sample.
• Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer - measures high-resolution infrared spectra of a sample over a wide spectral range.
• Raman spectrometer - measures the laser-generated scattering of light, or Raman spectra, to identify and characterize samples, particles, and materials.
• Mass spectrometer - measures the mass-to-charge ratio (mass spectra) of ionized particles to identify atoms or molecules in a sample. These systems can be coupled to chromatography for more specialized identification.
• Spectrophotometer - measures light reflection or transmission properties of samples as a function of wavelength. Generally used on liquid samples, spectrophotometers can accommodate high-throughput formats, such as multi-well microplates.

What are applications of spectroscopy in life science?

Spectroscopy enables sensitive measurements at the atomic and molecular levels. As such, spectroscopy equipment are used widely in research, pharmaceutical, and industrial areas, such as in drug development, manufacturing, material science, and chemical analysis of industrial, environmental, and forensic samples. In basic and applied research, spectrophotometers are staple instruments in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of DNA, RNA, and proteins and are often used in functional and immunodetection assays. Mass spectrometers coupled to liquid chromatography, such as HPLC-MS/MS, are used in proteomic analyses, including large-scale protein identification. Browse the Biocompare spectroscopy catalog to discover instruments from trusted manufacturers for use in life science applications.