Summer may be a holiday season for many, but for the analytical world it means conferences and new instruments. This overview does not cover every release, but highlights some of the most notable ones.
Organic Mass Spectrometry: LC–MS in Many Forms
This summer’s announcements in mass spectrometry were centered on LC–MS. It so happened that the major vendors presented very different types of instruments: from new high-end Orbitrap hybrids, to an updated triple quadrupole, to entirely new single-quadrupole detectors. The coverage of applications is broadly similar — proteomics, biopharma, quantitation, and routine LC/MS — but the designs introduced could hardly be more diverse.
Thermo Fisher Scientific, with Alexander Makarov and his team still driving Orbitrap development, introduced two new hybrids. The Orbitrap Astral Zoom extends the tribrid concept by combining Orbitrap, quadrupole, and Astral analyzers. Its main advance is faster acquisition (up to 270 Hz) and improved duty cycle, making very large proteomics cohorts and even single-cell studies more feasible. Alongside it, the Orbitrap Excedion Pro broadens the hybrid Orbitrap family, offering multiple fragmentation modes (HCD, ETD, EThcD) and, in the BioPharma edition, an extended mass range up to 12,000 m/z for intact protein work.
Agilent took a different direction, turning to single-quadrupole LC/MS detection. The InfinityLab Pro iQ and Pro iQ Plus are designed for routine tasks such as confirmation and impurity checks. They add features such as extended mass range (up to 3,000 m/z in the Plus), higher sensitivity, and “intelligent” functions like autotuning and health monitoring, aimed at making single-quads easier to integrate into everyday workflows.
Waters presented the Xevo TQ Absolute XR, the next iteration of its Xevo TQ Absolute that began in 2022. The XR version improves robustness with StepWave XR ion optics, extends detector stability, and lowers energy and gas consumption. The focus remains quantitative analysis in regulated labs.
SCIEX introduced the ZenoTOF 8600, successor to the 7600 Plus. The addition of the Zeno trap improves ion utilization and boosts sensitivity, while new DIA modes (ZT Scan DIA 2.0) allow broader proteomics and metabolomics coverage at low sample amounts.
ICP Spectrometry: New Shapes in OES, Comeback in MS
Summer 2025 also brought updates in ICP-based techniques, with new models in both optical emission and mass spectrometry.
Analytik Jena introduced the PlasmaQuant 9200 and 9200 Elite, expanding its ICP-OES line alongside the still-available PlasmaQuant 9100. The redesign is evolutionary but notable. The new instruments have a footprint more than 40% smaller, making them easier to accommodate in crowded labs. The Elite model offers finer spectral resolution (about 2 pm @ 200 nm), which can be useful in complex matrices. The plasma generator now operates at 27 MHz instead of the conventional 40 MHz — a technical change aimed at improving plasma stability across challenging samples. Other refinements include a modular torch system intended to simplify maintenance and updated software designed to support more automated corrections. The 9100 apparently continues in the product line, while the 9200/9200 Elite serve as more compact and technically refined additions rather than direct replacements.
Another development was SPECTRO’s return to ICP-MS with the launch of the SPECTROGREEN MS. Years ago, the company offered the SPECTRO MS, but within the AMETEK group ICP-MS development had shifted to Nu Instruments, known for high-resolution and multi-collector instruments. The new model takes a different path: it is designed as a routine ICP-MS, not a research flagship. Drawing on Nu’s design heritage — its interface and extractor lens are based on the Sapphire and Vitesse platforms — the SPECTROGREEN MS adapts proven elements for everyday multi-element analysis. For SPECTRO, this rounds out a portfolio that already spans ICP-OES, spark OES, and XRF, while Nu Instruments continues to focus on the demanding high-end ICP-MS niche.
Electron Microscopy: New Versatility in Imaging and Sample Prep
The main electron microscopy announcements this summer came from Thermo Fisher Scientific, which introduced two new instruments.
The Scios 3 FIB-SEM refines the dual-beam approach with a new high-resolution NICol electron column and a flexible detection system (SE, BSE, STEM). It is designed not only for imaging but also for automated cross-sectioning and high-quality TEM lamella preparation, using low-energy polishing to reduce sample damage. Options such as an in situ MEMS-based heating stage and MultiChem gas system expand its use into experiments under near-real conditions.
The Talos 12 TEMrepresents a new step in accessible 120 kV transmission EM. It can be configured as a conventional TEM for biology, as a STEM/EDS system for materials, or as an entry-level cryo-EM platform. With software like Maps 3 for large-area tissue imaging and Tomography 5 for 3D reconstruction, it bridges routine cell imaging and advanced structural biology. Recent case studies illustrate its breadth: from studying Ebola virus replication in host cells to characterizing lipid nanoparticles for drug delivery, where TEM is used for assessing size, shape, and encapsulation efficiency.
This summer saw a range of new instruments across spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and microscopy. None of them represents a revolution on its own, but together they indicate steady progress. Time will show how these systems establish themselves in laboratory practice.