Dr John Douse’s career began with a D.Phil. in Organic Chemistry from Oxford (1971–1978), where Dr John pioneered high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) using capillary columns manufactured by himself. This ultimately laid the groundwork for introducing HRGC and solid-state extraction to forensic casework at the Metropolitan Police and Forensic Explosives Laboratories, enabling ultra-trace detection of explosives, toxins, drugs, and biological traces in the most challenging contaminated forensic residues.