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Helium prices continue to spike following yet another helium shortage, the third in 14 years. 

It’s all quite ironic – helium gas, the second most abundant gas in the universe, is an extremely scarce non-renewable resource on earth, and with the consequent soaring prices, laboratories are in search for a sustainable and dependable alternative.

50 years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the biggest leap of all time as they landed on the moon - a major step which paved the way for a number of lunar discoveries.

Helium – the colorless, odorless and tasteless inert gas – is the second most abundant gas in the universe after hydrogen gas. However, the type of helium gas used in applications, such as gas chromatography, is extracted from natural gas – a problem of diminishing resources which is leading to the scarcity of helium gas.

Some university laboratories are in 'crisis mode' as rising helium prices seriously impact their work.