Instrumental Analytical Chemistry (IAC) is delighted to announce our completely redesigned website's successful completion and launch. The new site, now live, boasts an enhanced interface and a wealth of resources tailored for established researchers and those interested in analytical chemistry. In line with our commitment to fostering knowledge and innovation in analytical chemistry, the redesigned website provides a platform that seamlessly combines aesthetics and functionality. It has been constructed with the needs of our diverse audience in mind, featuring improved navigation, accessibility, and streamlined content. The website is live now and can be accessed at https://www.uni-due.de/iac/. We encourage everyone to explore the new site and take advantage of the wealth of information it provides.

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​​A critical review by leading scientists Lucie K. Tintrop, Amir Salemi, Maik A. Jochmann, Werner R. Engewald, and Torsten C. Schmidt has been published in the esteemed journal Analytica Chimica Acta (Volume 1271, 29 August 2023, 341468). Titled "Improving Greenness and Sustainability of Standard Analytical Methods by Microextraction Techniques: A Critical Review," the paper highlights the importance of sustainable microextraction techniques in analytical chemistry.

The review underscores the growing necessity for green sample preparation methods in the face of increasing environmental awareness. It suggests that solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) could provide more sustainable and efficient alternatives to conventional large-scale extractions.

"Despite the significant environmental and efficiency benefits of micro extractions, they are yet to be widely adopted in routine analysis methods," observes Lucie K. Tintrop, the lead author. "Our goal with this review is to encourage a shift towards more sustainable practices in analytical chemistry." The authors present an exhaustive examination of the greenness, benefits, and limitations of LPME and SPME variants, discussing aspects such as automation, solvent consumption, potential hazards, reusability, energy consumption, time efficiency, and ease of handling. They also demonstrate the compatibility of these techniques with gas chromatography.

To further advocate for using micro extractions, the review employs greenness evaluation metrics such as AGREE, AGREEprep, and GAPI, comparing these against standard USEPA methods. This critical review in Analytica Chimica Acta contributes significantly to the ongoing discourse on sustainable practices in analytical chemistry, with the potential to catalyze a shift towards greener methodologies. The critical review, "Improving Greenness and Sustainability of Standard Analytical Methods by Microextraction Techniques: A Critical Review," is now available in Analytica Chimica Acta. It is anticipated to stimulate progressive conversations and actions in analytical chemistry.

Rivers and streams are centers of biodiversity and are vital to humans. Human actions degrade water bodies and their communities in various ways; various measures are being used to reverse these degradations. However, the mechanisms at work during periods of degradation and recovery are only partially understood, especially when many impairments are present simultaneously. RESIST investigates the underlying mechanisms by combining field studies and mesocosm experiments with statistical and mechanistic modeling and synthesis. A broad range of methods is used to investigate the effects of multiple stressors on all components of the stream food web (from viruses to fish) and on four ecosystem functions. The studies focus on the effects of three globally relevant stressors: temperature increase, salinization, and hydro morphological degradation, and the combination of these forms of stress. The goal is to understand and predict the effects of degradation and recovery on stream biodiversity and functions.

In addition to 15 researchers from the UDE, teams from the Universities of Bochum, Cologne, Kiel, and Koblenz-Landau, as well as the Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (Berlin) and the Environmental Research Center Halle-Leipzig are involved in the SFB RESIST.

The IAC project will focus on food web analyses using stable isotope analysis of single amino acids in macrozoobenthos, fish, and parasites.