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HPLC 2013

A preview of HPLC 2013.

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Designed for long life.

Wide pH variations or high temperatures are tough conditions for a silica based HPLC column. Kromasil Eternity, with its organic/inorganic interfacial gradient on the matrix, can longer withstand such conditions.

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Three new triple quadrupole mass spectrometers LCMS-8040, LCMS-8080 and GCMS-TQ8030 complete Shimadzu’s UFMS series consisting of seven powerful systems. The UFMS product family provides higher sensitivity, greater excellence in data quality, increased analytical throughput and a wider range of applications.

Breath analysis

A group of scientists in Austria 1 have developed and characterised a method for the detection of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae in the upper respiratory tract by analysing breath samples of patients.

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Forensic fingerprinting

Fingerprint analysis has been a standard method for forensic analysis and is used to identify suspects at the scene of a crime. Recent advances in next-generation DNA sequencing technology have revolutionized the criminal justice system and has downgraded the importance of fingerprint analysis. However, the positioning of DNA material can be circumstantial in some cases and this is where recent advances in analytical chemistry instrumentation can enhance the power of fingerprint analysis.

Dragon's blood

"Dragon's Blood"(DB) has become increasingly popular in Europe and the USA this year. Marketed as an anti-ageing compound within cosmetics, DB is a deep red resin secreted from the fruit of the dragon tree species, Daemonorops draco. Scientists in China 2 believe they have identified two novel biomarkers that could be used in the QC of DB.

John Hinshaw offers his insights into how the current helium shortage will affect gas chromatographers and answers some concerns of The Column readers selected from the CHROMacademy Forum.

Traditionally, measuring the mobility of proteins and nanoparticles has been a challenging task. An effective measurement method traditionally used is phase analysis light scattering (PALS), a technique based on interfering laser light scattered from a sample solution. However, it has been associated with two important shortcomings. Massively Parallel Phase Analysis Light Scattering (MP-PALS) has emerged as a viable alternative to the conventional PALS method.

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Antibiotics are used frequently and there has been a corresponding growth in antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, such as MRSA (multi resistant strain antibiotics). This resistance is placing pressure on healthcare systems worldwide with numerous government agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), campaigning to reduce the use of antibiotics. There is now an emerging research focus on the development of plant-based anti-microbial agents that could be used for non-medicinal purposes; specifically of interest is the use of antimicrobials in the preservation of foodstuffs.

The Helium Crisis

John Hinshaw answers more LCGC readers’ concerns sent to the CHROMacademy forum following the recent CHROMacademy webinar on the helium shortage.

Phenomenex (California, USA) has announced a partnership with the Feed my Starving Children (FMSC) (Minnesota, USA) organization to hand-pack 150,000 meals on the 16th and 17th of November for dispatch to developing countries

Agilent (California, USA) has announced the formation of a partnership with PREMIER Biosoft (California, USA). The partnership aims to aid the advancement of lipidomics research, by supporting integration of their respective software platforms allowing combination of data generation and processing. It is hoped that this will allow the mapping of complex lipidomic networks, advancing knowledge of lipid metabolism and diseases associated.