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Proteins, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are powerful therapeutic agents. Because of their high molecular complexity, however, biopharmaceuticals may be quite sensitive to changes in the manufacturing processes that can lead to considerable micro-heterogeneity. As a result, a panel of separation techniques based on both liquid chromatography and electrophoresis has been used for their characterization and comparability studies. In terms of detection, mass spectrometry (MS) plays a pivotal role in the structural elucidation of biopharmaceuticals, because it offers an additional degree of separation by mass/charge ratio, greatly facilitating the characterization of variants. This two-part web seminar will discuss possibilities and limitations of chromatographic techniques and mass spectrometry detection for the physico-chemical characterization of biopharmaceutical compounds. Part I will focus on chromatographic techniques used for the physico-chemical characterization of biopharmaceutical compounds. Historically, ion exchange chromatography (IEX) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) were the reference techniques. In this presentation, some new trends in IEX and SEC will be explained. However, because reversed-phase liquid chromatography is naturally more compatible with MS, the talk will focus on the potential of state-of-the-art UHPLC instruments and reversed-phase LC columns (sub-2?m wide-pore porous particles or core-shell particles) for biopharmaceutical characterization.

Click here to view the complete E-Separation Solutions newsletter from December 17, 2013.

Editors Series' : Integrating On-Line Sample Preparation and HPLC Separations with Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry for Ultratrace Quantitative Analysis of Small Molecules from Complex Matrices

LCGC Pittcon 2014 product Review-Product2

Residues of chili pepper (Capsicum) have been found on pottery dating back 2000 years in southern Mexico, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.1 The New World Archeological Foundation (NWAF) first excavated the pottery (thought to date from 400 BCE–300 CE) from Chiapa de Corzo between 1955 and 1963.

Click here to view the complete E-Separation Solutions newsletter from December 12, 2013.

Flow injection analysis (FIA) is a powerful technique for quantitative analysis, especially in conjunction with mass spectrometry (MS) detection. Kevin Schug discusses how FIA can be combined with MS using electrospray ionization and describes how the technique can be used for analytes such as binding constant determination, multipoint instrument response calibrations, and removing the dependence of measured analyze concentrations on matrix effects.

Fully automated Dried Blood Spot (DBS) Extraction System for MS. On-card IS application module for extraction efficiencies and matrix effect correction. Wash station for minimized carry-over effects.

Residues of chili pepper (Capsicum) have been found on pottery dating back 2000 years in southern Mexico, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.1 The New World Archeological Foundation (NWAF) first excavated the pottery (thought to date from 400 BCE?300 CE) from Chiapa de Corzo between 1955 and 1963.

Click here to view the full European E-newsletter from December 12.

A selective review of companies who launched products in 2013.

The variance in the toxic effects of designer cannabis drugs marketed throughout Europe and the USA as "K2" or "Spice" could be the result of stereoselective metabolism of enantiomers by lung and liver enzymes, according to a study published in Analytical Chemistry.

Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories are thinking smaller in the development of detectors for military use - from the detection of explosives and chemical weapons to humans. Scientist Ron Manginell from the laboratories spoke to The Column about the on-going research in this area.

The ancient Egyptians embalmed meat mummies as an afterlife snack in the same way as their dead, according to the findings of a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis.

This article describes the analysis of fluorescently labelled N-glycans released from proteins by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS).

Shoulders in gel permeation/size-exclusion chromatograms (GPC/SEC) can be a result of sample characteristics or down to the wrong choice of columns or column combinations. Proper selection helps to measure true results.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) evades clearance by the immune system by hijacking the very traps it produces, transforming these same traps into a toxic compound according to a paper published in Science.1 Scientists from the University of Chicago (Chicago, USA) used high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS) to identify the toxin as 2"-deoxyadenosine (dAdo).

Click here to view the full European E-newsletter from December 5.

Therapure Biopharma (Ontario, Canada) has entered into an agreement with Upfront Chromatography (Copenhagen, Denmark) to acquire assets and associated business related to human plasma fractionation from Upfront. As part of the deal Therapure will acquire proprietary protein purification technology based on expanded bed chromatography, along with exclusive rights to commercialize the technology.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) evades clearance by the immune system by hijacking the very traps it produces, transforming these same traps into a toxic compound according to a paper published in Science.1 Scientists from the University of Chicago (Chicago, USA) used high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC?MS) to identify the toxin as 2?-deoxyadenosine (dAdo).

Shimadzu?s new LCMS-8050 triple quadrupole LC-MS/MS meets the growing demand for trace-level quantitation in clinical research and other markets. It incorporates proprietary ultrafast technologies as well as a newly developed ion source and collision cell technology.

In this instalment Ron Majors discusses new sample preparation media that could result in improved or even "breakaway" performance for solid–liquid extractions. Some of these sorbents are based on new novel bonded phases to existing media while others are based on new extraction phases, such as carbon on silica, other metal oxides, or polymeric media. With resulting new selectivities, sample preparation could be performed more quickly in fewer steps than typical of usual adsorbents

Why do some peaks front and others don't in the same method?

There are many "minor" variables in GC–MS analysis that can be optimized to improve selectivity or sensitivity. Knowing how to manually optimize the detector settings leads to better quality data.

Some solid–liquid extraction sorbents that have had significant development recently include MIPs, dSPE for QuEChERS, nanomaterials, and mixed-mode and silicone monolith sorbents.

A review of the 7th International Symposium on Packed Column SFC (SFC 2013), which was held in Boston, Massachusetts, from July 10 to 12, 2013.

Click the title above to open the LCGC Europe December 2013 regular issue, Vol 26 No 12, in an interactive PDF format.

Click the title above to open the LCGC North America December 2013 regular issue, Vol 31 No 12, in an interactive PDF format.