Trends in Analytical Chemistry最新文献

{"title":"Perspectives on wastewater surveillance of mpox: Current methods and future needs","authors":"Xiaotian Ma ,&nbsp;Yanming Liu ,&nbsp;Teresa Kumblathan ,&nbsp;Camille Hamula ,&nbsp;X. Chris Le ,&nbsp;Xing-Fang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118686","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118686","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global resurgence of mpox (monkeypox) underscores the need for rapid detection of the mpox virus (MPXV). Clinical surveillance underreports cases because of the self-limiting nature of MPXV and social stigma. Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) offers a complementary tool for population-level monitoring and overcomes individual testing barriers. However, the detection of MPXV in wastewater is hindered by low viral loads, complex sample matrices, and a lack of standardized methods. This review summarizes recent advances and challenges in WBS of MPXV, including sampling, sample treatment, nucleic acid amplification and detection, and data interpretation. We emphasize the efficient recovery of viral components (virions and nucleic acids), removal of inhibitors, and use of appropriate controls for method validation. We describe an analytical framework combining composite sampling, viral release and concentration, nucleic acid extraction, isothermal amplification, and molecular detection. Developing robust, field-deployable methods remains a key priority.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 118686"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Upgrade from signal enhancement to plasma modulation for LIBS signal improvement","authors":"Peichao Zheng ,&nbsp;Guanghui Chen ,&nbsp;Weilun Gu ,&nbsp;Jinmei Wang ,&nbsp;Zongyu Hou ,&nbsp;Xun Gao ,&nbsp;Anmin Chen ,&nbsp;Weidong Zhou ,&nbsp;Lianbo Guo ,&nbsp;Qingdong Zeng ,&nbsp;Zhe Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118709","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118709","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has emerged as a versatile analytical technique for broad applications in various fields. However, its widespread adoption is severely hindered by challenges in quantitative performance, primarily due to relatively low signal repeatability and matrix effects. These limitations are fundamentally attributed to the drastic spatiotemporal variations of its emission source, the laser-induced plasma (LIP). Currently, signal enhancement is the predominant concept for LIBS signal improvement, but this direction often leads to even lower signal repeatability, a critical factor for LIBS quantification. Originating from the essential understanding of LIBS signal improvement, this work introduces an upgraded concept, plasma modulation, as a paradigm-shifting approach that actively modulates the evolution of the LIP to synergistically optimize signal repeatability and intensity. This work systematically examines the physical mechanisms, evaluates the practical implementations, and assesses the future potential of the plasma modulation methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 118709"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structure and application of metal-organic frameworks in wearable electrochemical sweat sensors","authors":"Wenhao Dong ,&nbsp;Xueye Chen ,&nbsp;Junlong Zhai ,&nbsp;Xudong Fang ,&nbsp;Chenyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhen Wang ,&nbsp;Yingxin Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrochemical sensors enable effective detection of sweat biomarkers through the specific recognition of target molecules by sensitive materials. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit exceptional potential for electrochemical sensing due to their ultrahigh surface area and structural tunability. This review focuses on intrinsic MOF properties and analyzes structure–performance relationships, summarizing studies and reviews from 2021 to 2025 on MOF structural regulation and applications in wearable electrochemical sweat sensors. Structural regulation is discussed in terms of MOF architectures, modification strategies, and synthesis methods. The roles of organic ligands and metal ions in tailoring MOF structures for electrochemical sweat sensing are systematically analyzed, while diverse modification and fabrication approaches provide practical routes for structural optimization. In addition, the functions of MOFs in sensor design and application are summarized, with detailed discussion of sensing mechanisms and device configurations. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of MOFs in wearable electrochemical sweat sensing are outlined.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 118738"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Critical review of field-based forensics of chemical warfare agents in urban matrices: Integrating detection, sampling, and GC–MS identification in a deployable laboratory","authors":"Tomas Rozsypal","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118684","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118684","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent chemical incidents and the potential misuse of toxic agents in urban areas have renewed the need for rapid, reliable, and defensible field analysis. The forensic investigation of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) under such conditions remains highly challenging. This review critically examines strategies for field detection, sampling, sample preparation, and on-site laboratory identification of urban samples. Across air, liquid, solid, and polymeric matrices, analytical success depends more on sampling design and matrix-aware workflows than on instrumentation alone. Portable spectroscopic systems enable rapid field detection but rarely provide the level required for confirmed identification. GC–MS remains a key tool. Although many advanced laboratory protocols exist, most are impractical for mobile laboratories due to equipment constraints and time-critical conditions. Extraction remains a critical yet insufficiently optimized step. The review identifies these gaps as barriers to forensic validation and highlights the need for harmonized, matrix-specific workflows to strengthen future CWA field forensics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 118684"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioimaging approaches for mapping micro/nanoplastic distribution in living systems: Advancing One-Health risk assessment","authors":"Yeli Fan ,&nbsp;Tao Wang ,&nbsp;Xinyu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118724","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118724","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) are pervasive “One-Health” contaminants capable of penetrating biological barriers and accumulating across organisms, raising ecological and human-health concerns. Understanding their in vivo fate and toxicological impacts requires advanced, dynamic imaging tools. This review evaluates recent progress in fluorescence imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), Raman spectroscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for tracking MNPs biodistribution and barrier interactions in diverse animal models. Multimodal imaging has revealed size-, shape-, and surface-dependent translocation behaviors, organ accumulation patterns, and toxicity pathways. By integrating complementary modalities, an imaging-based toxicology framework is emerging that enables mechanistic understanding and supports predictive toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic modeling. Overall, multimodal bioimaging is becoming a cornerstone technology for cross-species fate mapping of MNPs, providing critical insights for One-Health hazard assessment and guiding future intervention and regulatory strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 118724"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advanced molecularly imprinted polymers for disease treatment via targeting molecular abnormalities: Promises and challenges","authors":"Zikuan Gu ,&nbsp;Guoguang Chen ,&nbsp;Zhen Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118707","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118707","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In human diseases, molecular abnormalities occur frequently and drive disease progression. Antibodies are effective targeted reagents to regulate molecular abnormalities and treat diseases. Despite antibodies have achieved great success, their high cost, low stability, and high immunogenicity limit their further application. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) which are chemically synthesized artificial antibodies, showed great potential for targeting molecular abnormalities and treating diseases with high affinity and specificity. Recently, many MIPs have emerged for enhanced therapeutic efficacy via targeting molecular abnormalities and there is still lack of a review to summarize these works. In this review, we will survey the recent progress of MIPs in diseases treatment via targeting molecular abnormalities. We first analyze factors determining MIPs recognition performance. Subsequently, we discuss MIPs applications in disease treatment via targeting molecular abnormalities, including abnormal signaling pathway inhibition, molecular abnormalities clearance and targeted drugs delivery. Finally, we outline challenges and further perspectives of MIPs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 118707"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analytical approaches to uncover the hidden identity of non-extractable organic soil contaminants - a synopsis","authors":"Karolina M. Nowak ,&nbsp;Jan Schwarzbauer ,&nbsp;Andreas Schäffer","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118717","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118717","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Environmental fate assessment of organic contaminants in soil is essential for chemical risk assessment within the regulatory frameworks. While conventional biodegradability testing allows quantification of extractable residues and mineralisation, the analysis of non-extractable residues (NER) remains a significant analytical challenge. This review synthesizes current analytical strategies and workflows for the characterization and differentiation of NER in soil originating from organic contaminants.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Therefore, we describe current analytical strategies and workflows that enable robust NER characterization. The analytical framework distinguishes three NER types based on formation mechanisms and environmental relevance: type 1 (physically entrapped residues sequestered within soil aggregates with remobilization risk), type 2 (covalently bound residues with strong chemical bonds to a solid matrix and minimal remobilization potential), and type 3 (microbial biomass residues integrated into natural organic matter with no environmental concern).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Sequential extraction procedures using aqueous and organic solvents, combined with targeted chemical degradation methods and derivatisation like silylation, provide systematic approaches to distinguish NER types. Silylation enables the release and quantification of physically entrapped (type 1) NER, while remaining covalently bound (type 2) NER require chemo- or thermochemolytic cleavage for identification. Biogenic NER (type 3) are quantified via acidic hydrolysis and analysis of the released amino acids as microbial biomass proxies carrying the label from the degraded contaminant.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Isotopic labelling utilizing both radioactive (&lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C, &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;H: tritium) and stable (&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C, &lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;N, &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;H: deuterium) isotopes has greatly advanced mass balance tracking and molecular identification capabilities. While radioactive labelling provides unparalleled sensitivity for quantification, stable isotope methods coupled with GC-IRMS, LC-MS/MS, or NMR offer mechanistic and structural information. So far, NER research using isotope labelling was mainly based on &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C-, &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C- and &lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;N, but recently the suitability of &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;H-labels for this purpose has been described. This innovative approach, which can ease distinction between the formations of xenobiotic NER (type 1 and 2) and biogenic NER (type 3), is presented here.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;By integrating state-of-the-art extraction, degradation, and isotope-tracing techniques, researchers can now achieve robust discrimination of NER types. These analytical advancements are crucial for regulatory bodies to assess chemical safety, support persistence classification, and predict long-term risks associated with organic pollutants in soils. Suggestions for further research on the use of deuterium and tritium as isotope labels and the investigation of mass-dependent isotope effects on ","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 118717"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Smart crRNA engineering in CRISPR/Cas12a biosensing: From performance enhancement to application expansion","authors":"Xiao-Zhe Pang ,&nbsp;Qing-Nan Li ,&nbsp;Qi-Fan Yang ,&nbsp;Jia-Xin Wang ,&nbsp;Xin-Yue Wang ,&nbsp;Li Huang ,&nbsp;De-Ming Kong ,&nbsp;Li-Na Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118733","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118733","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The CRISPR/Cas12a system has emerged as a core tool in the fields of gene-editing and molecular diagnostics due to its high specificity, flexible programmability, and unique <em>trans</em>-cleavage activity. In this system, the crRNA serves as a crucial guiding component, with concise structure and remarkable plasticity, making it an ideal regulatory element to precisely control Cas12a activity and optimize system performance. However, the conventional CRISPR/Cas12a system still has limitations in sensitivity, controllability, and specificity that constrain its application potential in complex biological environments. To overcome these limitations, various engineered crRNA strategies have been developed to construct “smart guide RNA” responsive to specific endogenous or exogenous signals, thereby transforming the system into a dynamically regulatable multifunctional molecular platform. This review provides a systematic overview of recent advances in crRNA engineering for the CRISPR/Cas12a system, focusing on key strategies including photocontrolled, chemically modified, conformational-gated, length-regulated, and split approaches. Furthermore, their design principles, mechanisms of action, and applications in molecular diagnostics, gene regulation, and biosensing are discussed. These strategies achieve precise control of Cas12a activity across temporal, spatial, and logical dimensions by introducing external signal-responsive modules, regulating molecular conformation and physicochemical properties, optimizing structural parameters, and reconstructing functional domains. Finally, the review further summarizes the major challenges faced by crRNA engineering in practical applications and discusses its future perspectives. This provides theoretical references and research approaches for the design and application of next-generation high-performance, intelligent CRISPR tools.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 118733"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optical phenotypic tracking: Advancing rapid toward culture-free antimicrobial susceptibility testing","authors":"Jiahao Xu ,&nbsp;Yunrui Zhang ,&nbsp;Ziqi Wang ,&nbsp;Yan Shen ,&nbsp;Keting Xu ,&nbsp;Yan Chen ,&nbsp;Di Wang ,&nbsp;Fenni Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118700","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118700","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses an escalating threat to human, animal, and environmental health, aligning with the core principles of the One Health framework. Effective antimicrobial stewardship depends on rapid and accurate antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), yet conventional culture-based methods rely on population-level growth and require 48–72 h, delaying targeted therapy. Advances in optical biosensing and imaging enable direct tracking of bacterial phenotypic responses at the single-cell level. By capturing the microscopic growth dynamics and physiological responses induced by antibiotics, these methods can determine susceptibility within 1–2 bacterial replication cycles (≤2–6 h). This review outlines the evolution from conventional to rapid and culture-free optical phenotypic AST, highlighting approaches capable of operating directly in complex clinical samples through integration with microfluidics and machine-learning analytics. We also discuss remaining challenges and future opportunities for developing intelligent, clinically deployable, and One-Health-aligned AST platforms that enhance patient care and slow the global spread of AMR.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 118700"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent advances in split crRNA or activator strategy for disease diagnosis in CRISPR/Cas systems","authors":"Dianyu Lin ,&nbsp;Lulu Qin ,&nbsp;Tianmei Liu ,&nbsp;Yuehong Yu ,&nbsp;Zhicheng Tang ,&nbsp;Xiaolei Zhu ,&nbsp;Fan Zhang ,&nbsp;Zheng Zhao ,&nbsp;Ben Zhong Tang ,&nbsp;Yao Cen","doi":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118696","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trac.2026.118696","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>CRISPR/Cas systems have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in disease diagnosis. In particular, the CRISPR/Cas12a system performs well due to its simple structure and nonspecific <em>trans</em>-cleavage activity. Recent findings have demonstrated that crRNA or activators with appropriate split sites can induce Cas nuclease activity comparable to that of their full-size counterparts. This review primarily focuses on the disease diagnosis integrated with amplification-free strategies, asymmetric systems, logic gates, and signal amplification strategies. Additionally, we discuss its progress in other CRISPR/Cas systems and modification strategies for regulating Cas proteins’ activity. In general, the characteristics and challenges of this method are highlighted. Evidently, the split strategy offers significant advantages, including diverse target accessibility, enhanced base mutation recognition ability, flexible programmability, methodological compatibility, and activity controllability. Future studies are encouraged to explore the application of the split strategy in other CRISPR/Cas systems and to overcome restrictions to advance clinical translation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":439,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Analytical Chemistry","volume":"197 ","pages":"Article 118696"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}