Call For Papers: Security and Forensic Applications of Mass Spectrometry

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (JASMS) is welcoming submissions for an upcoming Special Issue on Security and Forensic Applications of Mass Spectrometry to coincide with the 2025 ASMS Asilomar Conference of the same theme.

Both national security and forensic applications tend to utilize advancements in mass spectrometry to meet evolving mission objectives. As user-specific missions change so do the requirements of the measurement. Some laboratories require low levels of detection from varied and complex matrices while others need high throughput and precise measurements. Yet another subset has no laboratory at all and they highlight the need for portable and durable mass spectrometry systems ready for any environment. Furthermore, as mass spectrometry advances, so does our understanding of the analytes themselves, providing insights into source attribution, synthetic processes and much more.

For readers, this Special Issue will be an easily identifiable source of high-quality papers focused on security and forensic applications of mass spectrometry. For authors, the Special Issue will provide a means to increase the visibility of their work. A wide range of applications and utilizations of mass spectrometry are encouraged with primary focus areas in:

• Drugs and drug profiling
• Source attribution
• Isotope ratio mass spectrometry
• Ambient ionization and instrumentation
• Explosives and fire debris analysis

Organizing Editors

Prof. Facundo Fernández, Associate Editor, JASMS
Georgia Institute of Technology, United States

Dr. Ryan M. Bain, Guest Editor
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States

Submission Information

We welcome submissions for this Special Issue through April 30, 2026. Attendance at the 2025 Asilomar Conference is not required for contribution to this Special Issue.

Papers accepted for publication for this Special Issue will be available ASAP (as soon as publishable) online. After all submissions have been published, they will then be compiled online on a dedicated landing page to form the Special Issue. Manuscripts submitted for consideration will undergo the full rigorous peer review process expected from ACS journals. For more information on submission requirements, please visit the journal’s Author Guidelines page.

Open Access: There are diverse open access options for publications in American Chemical Society journals. Please visit our Open Science Resource Center for more information.

How to Submit

• Log in to the ACS Publishing Center.
• Select the "Journals" tab.
• Choose Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry.
• Click "Submit."
• Select your manuscript type, and, under "Special Issue Selection," choose "Security and Forensic Applications of Mass Spectrometry."

If you have any general questions regarding submission to this Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office (eic@jasms.acs.org).