The Column-01-19-2016

Protein biopharmaceuticals have seen an enormous growth in the last decade, and as a result, separation scientists are giving increased attention to methods for characterizing biopharmaceuticals. One powerful technique for analyzing proteins is two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D LC). Gerd Vanhoenacker of the Research Institute for Chromatography (RIC) in Kortrijk, Belgium, has been conducting research into peptide mapping of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) using 2D LC. He recently spoke to The Column about this work.

New research into flow modulation methods in valve-based two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) has produced an effective alternative to traditional pulse modulation.1 Described as “pattern modulation”, this new method increases effluent to the secondary column with flow rates compatible with most chromatographs and spectrometers.

Summary of the Eastern Analytical Symposium 2015.

A detection method for early-stage ovarian cancer has been developed using ultrahigh‑pressure liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–HRMS) in combination with tandem MS–MS.

Incognito talks about reproducibility in research.

The inherent sensitivity and selectivity of time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) can be augmented by soft electron ionization (EI) to provide ultratrace-level quantitation of organotins in complex environmental extracts. These organotin species are a focus of current concern as environmental contaminants, but analysis using conventional 70 eV ionization energies is made difficult by their propensity to undergo extensive fragmentation. The use of soft EI helps to solve this problem by producing simplified spectra with enhanced diagnostic ions.

Column overload is a very commonly encountered issue in gas chromatography (GC) for beginners. Changes in peak symmetry, generally observed as peak fronting, can be subtle in the sharp peaks generated by GC, but the result can be significant shifts in retention times, loss of resolution, and error in peak integration. LCGC Blogger Kevin Schug explains more.

A review of the 10th Balaton Symposium on High-Performance Separation Methods, which was held 2–4 September 2015 at the Hotel Azúr, Siófok, Hungary.

Click the title above to open The Column January 19, 2016 Europe & Asia issue, Volume 12, Number 1, in an interactive PDF format.

Click the title above to open The Column January 19, 2016 North American issue, Volume 12, Number 1, in an interactive PDF format.