Spectroscopic remote sensing relies on having highly accurate laboratory based data incorporated in atmospheric databases such as HITRAN and GEISA. It is often the case that the physical conditions (pressure, temperature, concentration) for a laboratory study of atmospheric trace gases are different than those encountered in planetary atmospheres. Extrapolating spectroscopic results from laboratory to atmospheric applications becomes a challenge. My talk will present laser- and synchrotron-based high-resolution spectroscopic studies performed by our research group and the challenges involved in these studies.