NCFS Hosts Laser Ablation Workshop

University of Central Florida researchers Matthieu Baudelet, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, and Mauro Martinez, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate at the National Center for Forensic Science, presented at a workshop on Laser Ablation for Forensic Science Applications.

The event was hosted by UCF’s National Center for Forensic Science on Feb. 8 and 9, 2017. The event, sponsored by Applied Spectra, Inc. and Analytik Jena, consisted of a two-day workshop covering various topics related to laser ablation, which is the process of removing material from a solid surface by irradiating it with a laser beam.

The first day included topics such as the fundamental of laser ablation ICP-MS and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). It also included Applied Spectra and Analytik Jena product overviews, laser ablation applications for forensic science, other examples of state of the art LA-ICP-MS and LIBS applications and specific applications presented by Baudelet, Martinez and Research Associate Sarah Jantzi, Ph.D., from the International Forensic Research Institute in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University.

The second day of the event included a live analysis of example samples on the Applied Spectra J200™ Tandem LA-LIBS instrument interfaced to the Analytik Jena PlasmaQuant Elite™ ICP-MS.

From archeological samples to paint and glass, attendees had the opportunity to bring various items to be analyzed.

The event hosted 27 attendees from various universities and organizations. Some of these attendees included researchers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, University of Florida, Saint Anselm College, Keiser University, Mayo Clinic and Florida A&M University.