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LCGC North America

To obtain sensitive, robust, and reproducible gas chromatography (GC) methods, each stage of the chromatographic process needs to be carefully considered and optimized. It is also important to record and report as much detail within the method specification so that the method can be reproduced between operators, instruments, and laboratories. Table I represents a "blueprint" method specification with all of the information that is necessary to faithfully specify and reproduce a split–splitless GC method.

LCGC North America

This article reports on the physical phenomena that control column efficiency and on experimental protocols designed to accurately measure their contributions to band broadening of analytes during their passage from the injection to the detection device. The results of these protocols are analyzed, allowing for the accurate determination of the complete mass transfer mechanism in different separation modes and providing solutions and future directions to further improve the efficiency of liquid chromatography columns.  

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The Column

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodenerative disorders worldwide. It is a progressive disorder characterized by gradual loss of mental ability associated with the death of brain cells, and is diagnosed using a combination of physical, neurological, and laboratory tests. Although there are no curative treatments available, early treatment can reduce the rate of the disease progression. Scientists from the University of Huelva and the Neurological Service from the Hospital Juan Ramon Jim?nez in Spain, began collaborating four years ago to develop new strategies to identify biomarkers that could be used to speed up diagnosis of the disease. In a new study published in the journal Electrophoresis, the team present a metabolomics approach based on ultrafiltration followed by capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry (CE–ESI–MS) for the fingerprinting of polar metabolites in blood serum.

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The Column

The production of new drugs continues to increase, placing pressure on analytical scientists to develop new bioanalytical methods to characterize and ensure quality control and safety. Bethany Degg of The Column spoke to Lucie Novakova of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, about the development, optimization, and challenges of bioanalytical methods as well as future emerging research areas.

Back to Basics

The Column

Incognito goes back to basics with standard laboratory skills. How do you use your pipette properly?

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The Column

Researchers from CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship in Hobart, Australia, have published a new approach to monitoring plastic exposure in live birds. Featured in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution, the study describes the sampling of preen oil collected from seabirds using a simple swabbing method for gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis.1

LCGC North America

Much has been written about options for increasing efficiency in HPLC ? primarily through the use of core shell and sub 2 ?m particles, which have been used to increase efficiency, speed up separations or increase peak capacity. However, many separations can only be effectively improved, by optimising selectivity ? resolution is a function of selectivity, efficiency and retention, with selectivity being the most effective at achieving good resolution.

E-Separation Solutions

I will preface this blog installment by saying that I am not an expert on separation of proteins, but I am learning. What I do understand are the fundamentals of chromatography for small molecules. This information abounds, but it is much more difficult to find the same level of information for biomacromolecule chromatography.

Richard Henry discusses what chromatographers need to learn, from measuring dispersion and using Van Deemter and Van 't Hoff plots to getting familiar with mobile phase variables.