Chemical & Engineering News — American Chemical Society

Simon Bates and Tom Concolino examine how analytical measurements can guide decisions in automated, closed-loop laboratories. They address limited or proprietary instrument interfaces, reliable connections between hardware and automation, and measurement and analysis workflows that deliver results at the speed an experimental loop needs. The presentation covers orchestration software, instrument integration, sample handling, and questions to resolve with instrument and automation vendors when designing a dependable self-driving laboratory.

Xingchen Ye and Hanyi Duan explain how ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectroscopy provides rapid, nondestructive measurements of nanomaterial optical properties. The presentation connects spectra to electronic transitions, band gaps, particle size, aggregation, and surface-plasmon resonance. Applications to metallic and composite nanomaterials include tracking nanoparticle formation, assessing colloidal stability, estimating optical band gaps, and detecting changes caused by surface modification or interactions with other chemical species. The talk develops practical approaches for interpreting these measurements during synthesis and characterization.

Traditional testing can miss central-nervous-system safety problems until late drug development. Alastair J. King presents an integrated early-assessment strategy combining secondary pharmacology profiling, targeted screening for safety liabilities, and translational in-vitro neuronal models. Case studies explore off-target effects, seizure risk, abuse potential, and neurotoxicity, alongside emerging regulatory perspectives on New Approach Methodologies. The talk explains how combining these data can improve candidate selection and confidence in the safety of both CNS-targeted and other therapeutics.