BrightSpec: Rotational Spectroscopy Comes of Age
- washburnadam
- Apr 3
- 4 min read
For years, fingerprint scanners have played a central role in science fiction’s vision of the future. In the sci-fi literature, a swift electronic scan of a fingerprint’s distinctive ridges, whorls, and swirls can unlock doors, safes, and other restricted areas. If you're like me, you probably spent a majority of your life thinking that this would be the technology of the far distant future. However, with improvements in computing and imaging technology, fingerprint scanning technology has now become a reality. Now, not a day goes by without me using fingerprint biometrics on my smartphone to unlock banking apps and other secure services.
In the world of molecules, the idea of a unique fingerprint to identify a molecule in a mixture has been an idea that has been around for a long time—just like sci-fi fingerprint scanners. I recently had the opportunity to learn about one new chemical fingerprinting technology that is coming of age: molecular rotational spectroscopy. In essence the whirling, swirling, and rotation of molecules in the gas phase enable the unique identification of molecules.
I first learned about this technology during an interview with Colin Merrifield, Director of Product Management at BrightSpec, Inc. When I met him at Pittcon in March 2025, the company was launching its first-ever commercial product. This gave me the opportunity to learn more about BrightSpec and the advancements that are bringing molecular rotational spectroscopy out of academia and into practical laboratory use.
A Journey from Academia to Innovation
BrightSpec traces its origins to the groundbreaking work of Brooks Pate at the University of Virginia. Pate, regarded as the modern father of rotational spectroscopy, made critical advancements that transformed this once academic technique into a practical tool for analytical chemistry. This has included pioneering the use of chirped-pulse Fourier transform rotational spectroscopy using high speed wave form generators and oscilloscopes.
Over the past 15 years, BrightSpec has worked to refine and develop the technology, and now the company is at the final stages of bringing it to the masses. Led by Walter Cosman, CEO, and Dr. Justin Neil (Founder and CTO), their Molecular Rotational Resonance (MRR) spectroscopy provides a unique solution to critical analytical challenges faced by scientists in pharmaceutical, food, flavor, and specialty chemical industries.
The Science Behind Molecular Rotational Resonance
Molecular Rotational Resonance (MRR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique that measures the rotation of molecules, allowing scientists to infer their 3D structure with high specificity. Rotational spectroscopy is based on the distribution of mass around the center of mass. As a result, the technique can enable researchers to distinguish fine molecular differences, including chemical structure, conformational flexibility, isomerism, and stereochemistry.
How does the MRR technology compare to other analytical technologies? BrightSpec's proprietary MRR technology delivers structural and quantitative analysis without chromatographic separation, making it particularly valuable for distinguishing chemically similar compounds and molecular conformations that are difficult to differentiate using traditional analytical methods.
Compared to gas chromatography (GC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), MRR offers a unique combination of benefits. MRR delivers rapid molecular analysis without chromatography, reducing method development time compared to GC. It also provides absolute structural identification that complements NMR. BrightSpec’s instruments can generate molecular data in just a minute or two. Acquisition time can be adjusted to obtain more detailed information depending on the application.
Overcoming Challenges to Bring MRR to Market
Transitioning MRR spectroscopy from a research setting to a widely accessible commercial tool required significant advancements in hardware, software, and computational power. Improvements in electronics, computational simulation of molecules, and leveraging Moore’s Law for increased computing efficiency played a crucial role in this journey.
One of the biggest hurdles BrightSpec faced was managing the complexity of MRR data—simulating molecules with quantum chemistry calculations and then translating that information into actionable insights for customers. Another challenge was less scientific, but equally challenging: ensuring seamless project management. Bringing together hardware, software, and data analytics at the right time was not simple. But the right combination of these aspects helped make this technology become user friendly.
BrightSpec's technology has applications across multiple industries. In the pharmaceutical sector, companies can use MRR spectroscopy to gain deeper insights into precursors, intermediates, and process impurities, making it a valuable tool throughout the entire drug development pipeline—from early discovery to large-scale manufacturing.
Beyond pharmaceuticals, consumer goods companies, particularly those in the food and beverage industry, can utilize MRR spectroscopy to analyze flavors and fragrances. These compounds, often composed of closely related molecular structures, have diverse biological and sensory effects, making precise differentiation crucial for product formulation and quality control.
In chemical manufacturing, BrightSpec’s technology can enable rapid and highly specific analysis of production processes. This includes detecting contaminants and monitoring reaction progress, ensuring consistency and compliance in industrial-scale chemical production.
The Vision for the Future
The company's blue-sky vision is ambitious. Merrifield described the vision this way: "An organic chemist injects a sample into the platform, and we can tell them every single chemical structure in a way that is unparalleled by other techniques. I don't think the information can be matched by any other technique. We're building towards that goal. That's what gets me excited."
BrightSpec is continuously expanding its technology's capabilities. They are working on miniaturization, increased sensitivity, and broader application areas. Their long-term vision includes bringing MRR technology to new markets and integrating it with complementary analytical techniques to provide comprehensive molecular analysis solutions.
For now, BrightSpec is excited to be launching their technology and getting it into people's hands. They've received very positive feedback from their early access program and are excited to be launching at Pittcon. Like the fingerprint scanner, this technology might now be in the transition from science fiction to practical application.
Learn more about BrightSpec and MRR technology at brightspec.com.
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