Bio
Prof. Marcello Locatelli obtained his master’s degree in Chemistry and his PhD from the University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”. He is currently Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti–Pescara, Department of Pharmacy. His research activities are devoted to the development and validation of chromatographic methods for the qualitative and quantitative determination of biologically active molecules in complex matrices. This applies to the study of all processes related to preanalytical stages, even the application of conventional and coupled analytical methods for accurate, sensitive, and selective determination. Particular attention has recently been paid to innovative (micro)extraction procedures such as MEPS, FPSE, MIP, DLLME, and SULLE. As part of method development, predictive models and chemometrics are also tested, both for the optimization of extraction protocols and for final data processing, where new instrument configurations for quantitative analysis in complex matrices are a focal point. Prof. Locatelli has served as Guest Editor for 20 Special Issues, and his research activities have resulted in more than 174 manuscripts, 161 congress communications (oral and poster), 16 book chapters, and 6 books, with a corresponding h-index of 35 (for 165 papers with 3413 citations (Scopus (23rd of February 2021)), attesting to the influence of his scientific output. He is a reviewer for more than 100 international peer-reviewed journals. He serves as a referee for MIUR Institution for National Projects (SIR), and is included in the register REPRISE (Register of Expert Peer Reviewers for Italian Scientific Evaluation) in the “Basic Research” section, in addition to having served as a referee for VQR (2011–2014).

Bio
Angela Tartaglia obtained her master’s degree in Pharmacy in March 2018 from the “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti–Pescara (Italy), with her research thesis titled “FPSE–HPLC–PDA Method for the Quantification of Anticancer Drugs in Human Whole Blood, Plasma and Urine”. From March to June 2018, she conducted additional research at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Chemistry, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, on microextraction procedures and a method validation focused on food products. She has been a PhD candidate at “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti–Pescara (Italy) since November 2018. Her research activity is focused on the development and validation of chromatographic methods (according to international guidelines, ICH) for the qualitative and quantitative determination of biologically active molecules in complex matrices, such as biological fluids (e.g., serum, plasma, urine, whole blood, saliva), cosmetic formulations, food, and environmental samples. This research involves the optimization of new protocols for sample preparation, where particular attention is given to innovative (micro)extraction, mostly microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS), fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE), and MIP-based solid-phase extraction (MIP–SPE). These procedures have been applied to different analytes: natural or synthetic bioactive compounds, drugs, and their metabolites, secondary metabolites of plant material, and food supplements, in addition to finding applications in clinical and preclinical studies aimed at the evaluation of quantitative, pharmacokinetic, bioequivalence and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) profiles of the analyzed analytes, in order to characterize new systems for conveying the active principle of improving their pharmacological properties.

Bio
Prof. Victoria Samanidou is a Full Professor and a Director of the Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Her research interests are focused on the development of sample preparation methods using sorptive extraction prior to chromatographic analysis. She has co-authored more than 177 original research articles in peer-reviewed journals and 54 reviews and 50 chapters in scientific books (h-index of 38 (Scopus Author ID 7003896015). She serves on the editorial boards of more than 25 scientific journals and has served as Guest Editor of around 20 Special Issues. In 2016, she was included in top 50 Power List of women in Analytical Science proposed by Texere Publishers (https://theanalyticalscientist.com/power-list/the-power-list-2016), and is included in the list of the world’s top 2% scientists in the field of analytical chemistry (throughout her career as well as for the year 2019) published in PLOS Biology, based on citations from Scopus (https://dx.doi.org/10.17632/btchxktzyw; https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3000918). She is a Leader of Working Group 1 Science and Fundamentals of EuChemS-DAC Sample Preparation Study Group and Network (2021) (https://www.sampleprep.tuc.gr/en/working-groups/wg1-science-and-fundamentals).

Bio
Dora Melucci has a Degree in Chemistry, with specialization in Chemical Methodologies for Control and Analysis, and a PhD in Chemical Sciences. She has been a researcher in analytical chemistry since 1999, in addition to teaching Chemometrics at the University of Bologna, since 2005. She works on the application of chemometrics to the development analytical methodologies, where specific focus is placed on direct and non-altering methods of analysis, possibly with portable instruments suitable for in situ analysis. Fields: food; environment; pharmaceutical; biotechnology; forensic chemistry. Analytical techniques: AAS; NIR; voltammetry; Raman; GC; LC–MS; FT-IR; XRD.

Bio
Dr. Abuzar Kabir is a Research Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA. His research focusses on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of novel sol–gel-derived advanced material systems to be used as chromatographic stationary phases; surface coatings of high-efficiency microextraction sorbents; nanoparticles, microporous, and mesoporous functionalized sorbents; and molecularly imprinted polymers for analyzing trace- and ultra-trace-level concentrations of polar, medium polar, nonpolar, ionic analytes, heavy metals, and organometallic pollutants from complex sample matrices. His inventions, namely fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE), dynamic fabric phase sorptive extraction (DFPSE), capsule phase microextraction (CPME), molecular imprinting technology, superpolar sorbents, in-vial microextraction (IVME), sol–gel-based reversed phase LC stationary phases and SPE sorbents, organic polymeric LC stationary phases and SPE sorbents, synthesis of mesoporous silica and its application in reversed phase LC stationary phases, and SPE sorbents, have attracted global attention. He has developed and formulated hundreds of high-efficiency sol–gel hybrid inorganic–organic sorbents based on silicon, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, and germanium chemistries. Dr. Kabir has authored 18 patents, 15 book chapters, 90 journal articles, and 125 conference papers.