Research time!

Let me just start by saying the work I& #39;ll be talking about today is published and if you& #39;d like to read it, here& #39;s the link! https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003267019308219">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a...

I& #39;ve outlined the problems I tackled for this project, so let me tell you why we chose to use thread.

Thread. is. cheap. It& #39;s also easily accessible. The spool of thread I bought when I started in my lab is the same spool I& #39;m using now. So you get a lot of bang for your buck.

It also comes with a natural "tip". This is important for ambient ionization methods because you need a fine tip to generate a high enough electric field to form ions. With thread, I don& #39;t have to worry about that. With methods like paper or blade spray, you& #39;d need to do that.

Another benefit to thread is that it& #39;s made from the same material as paper, cellulose, making it easy to functionalize.

For this work, I modified the surface so it was hydrophobic in order to decrease its detection limits.

Now this is not to say regular thread isn& #39;t sensitive, it is. The hydrophobic thread just has other added benefits.