Thanks to their long lifetimes, high energy-efficiencies and excellent colour rendering index, light emitting diodes (LEDs) are replacing incandescent lamps in an increasing number of applications.

One sector where LEDs are not only acting as replacements for conventional light sources but helping to advance a whole industry is in horticulture, where LEDs are being used to increase plant growth by up to 40 per cent through the delivery of unique compositions of light.

Whether it’s to check the quality of a bottle of wine, determine whether an organic apple is really pesticide-free, or even self-diagnose a rash at home, consumer spectrometers could give the general public a range of new capabilities, as well as open up a huge market for spectroscopy.