Gas-Chromatography coupled to Ion Mobility Spectrometry (GC-IMS) has been around for some time and it has been used in several projects to detect the fingerprint of odours. Recently, a groundbreaking paper has introduced the GCIMS R package, an open-source tool designed to streamline data processing for this cutting-edge technology.
GC-IMS enables the study of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in biofluids, giving rise to what's often referred to as "volatilomics." These compounds contribute to the distinct smells associated with breath, saliva, sweat, and more. Importantly, changes in the composition of these VOCs are indicative of various health conditions and can be leveraged for disease diagnosis and drug monitoring.
