On the Role and Reality of Digital Reference Materials

The emergence of Laboratory 4.0 and digital twin technologies necessitates reconsideration of how reference materials (RMs) can support modern analytical workflows. Digital reference materials (dRMs), existing as validated digital twins of physical standards, represent the convergence of traditional metrology and modern information technology, enabling new quality assurance and quality control workflows. To translate the inherent promise of dRMs into analytical reality, this work aims to set a framework for their implementation and validation. In doing so, this paper attempts to clear the air regarding the understanding and harmonization of terms and concepts for practitioners across academia, industry, and regulatory bodies and provides practical examples of dRMs in analytical workflows. This work examines important considerations from a quality assurance perspective, mapping the requirements of ISO 17034 for the production of reference materials. Furthermore, it also proposes performance characteristics for evaluating dRMs, i.e., establishing confidence that digital “signatures” and their associated uncertainties are fit for contemporary analytical challenges. The discussion encompasses both technical and quality assurance aspects, addressing the needs of analytical chemists facing the challenges of digital transformation in their daily work. The integration of physical standards with their digital twins opens a pandora’s box of applications including high-throughput screening, non-targeted methods, digital proficiency testing and real-time process control in modern analytical laboratories. This transformation addresses contemporary challenges in analytical chemistry while preserving the fundamental role of RMs in ensuring measurement reliability and traceability.