_applied sciences_  
_The 12 th International Conference on Instrumental Analysis--Modern Trends and Applications (20-23 September 2021, Virtual Event)_  
Manassis Mitrakas 1,* and Maria Ochsenkuhn-Petropoulou 2,*  
Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece  
Laboratory of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University Athens, Iroon Polytechnieou 9, 206920 Campus, 15780 Athens, Greece  
Correspondence: mmitraka@auth.gr (M.M. ); osenkik@central.ntua.gr (M.O.-P)  
chemical analysis; chromatography; mass spectrometry; spectrometry; sampling; environment; biomedicine; pharmaceutics; food The 12 th International Conference on \"Instrumental Methods of Analysis\" www.ima2021.gr (accessed on 8 November 2021)), was organized by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and National Technical University of Athens, during 20-23 September 2021 as a virtual event, providing the opportunity for high-level analytical scientists from all around the world to promote their relevant research. IMA is a biannual series of conferences that started in 1999 and cover all areas of Chemical Analysis, including the development of new techniques, modern trends, and applications in a wide range of scientific disciplines. To date, several leading analytical chemists from Greece and abroad have presented their research work at previous IMA meetings. The 12 th IMA conference (in a virtual format for the first time), had the ambition to bring together some of the most talented and innovative analytical chemists from all over the world for an excellent scientific online conference. The program of the 4-day event attended by 260 participants from 23 countries, included 14 invited speakers, 73 oral presentations, and 98 poster contributions. Covered topics included: spectrometric and electronic analysis; chromatographic, mass spectrometric, microscopic, and thermal analysis methods; proteomics, metabolomics, metallomics, and elemental speciation analysis; chemical and biosensors; field analysis--mobile analytical instruments; miniaturized analytical systems (lab-on-a-chip), micro-, and nanofluidics; immunoassays and electrophoretic separation techniques; sampling techniques and strategies; robotics and automation; quality control--quality assurance in analysis; metrology; data processing and chemometrics; environmental analysis; biomedical (ecotoxicological and clinical) and pharmaceutical analysis; food analysis; materials analysis (nanomaterials, smart/advanced materials, and surface analysis); archaeometry; and analytical chemistry markets and possibilities for commercialization. Special sessions, focused on aerosol metrology (supported by EU Project AEROMET II), advanced X-ray techniques (supported by the European X-ray Spectrometry Association), and application of chemical analysis in the study of virus spread analytics (airborne and wastewaters), were also organized within the frame of IMA-2021. **Monday 20 September 2021**  
**1. Plenary Lectures: Virus Spread Analytics, Drug Research**  
_1.1. COVID-19: The World's First Environmental Disease--Integrative Analytical and Computational Perspectives_  
**D. A. Sarigiannis 1,2**  
1 Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; sarigiannis@auth.gr  
2 University Institute of Advanced Study IUSS, 27100 Pavia, Italy  
COVID-19 challenges the way the global human community addresses public health protection from infectious diseases and the factors that determine their prevalence. The environmental dimension of the disease spread and of the associated health risk is an essential part of the pandemic puzzle.