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Szabolcs Fekete tells us about his work characterizing therapeutic proteins, studying liquid chromatography column technology, and optimizing methods.

Analysis of the compositional variation in living cells is essential for understanding biological processes. Single-cell elemental analysis by triple-quadrupole ICP-MS is emerging as a selective, highly sensitive, and potentially high-throughput technique for the study of constitutive elements, and uptake of metallodrugs (or metal-containing nanomaterials) in single cells.

The presence of per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) in water is an important health and environmental concern. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) has been established as the most suitable technology for monitoring these substances. A method is described, using EPA 8327, for PFAS analysis in groundwater, surface water, and wastewater.

Drug discovery using high-throughput screening of discreet compounds, and the discovery of natural products with pharmacological mechanisms of action, rely on bioassay-guided fractionation analysis. Recent applications of affinity selection–mass spectrometry (AS-MS) are useful for exploring the discovery of ligands to membrane-bound proteins and RNA targets.

Food quality differences are dependent on botanical and geographical origins of primary food ingredients as well as storage and handling. Quality assessment for food materials, including cocoa and olive oil, is demonstrated by applying two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) and pattern recognition.

This instalment of “GC Connections” dives into temperature programming. First, the differences in peak widths and retention times between temperature programmed and isothermal chromatograms are examined. Why are all the peaks so sharp in temperature programmed GC, yet they get broader (and shorter) in isothermal GC? Next, we explore some early ideas about temperature programming and peak broadening that explain why the peaks are so sharp in temperature-programmed GC, and why the peak spacing is different from isothermal GC. Finally, we examine an important consequence of our ability to program temperature: the need for temperature programming in splitless and other injections that use “solvent effects” and other peak focusing mechanisms. These points are illustrated using several historical figures and chromatograms from the early days of GC.

This article presents possible uses of ion chromatography and related techniques combined with various detection methods for clinical and pharmaceutical analysis of common inorganic and organic anions and cations. An overview of achievements in this area from the past 10 years is presented and the most important trends and development perspectives for ion chromatography are described.

Isabelle Kohler from Leiden University, in Leiden, The Netherlands, spoke to LCGC Europe about the latest trends in clinical metabolomics using chromatography and how the field is likely to evolve in the future.

What concentration of aqueous buffer should I use in the mobile phase when developing a re-versed‑phase liquid chromatography (LC) method for the analysis of ionogenic compounds?

Livia Schiavinato Eberlin of the University of Texas at Austin has won the 2020 Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award. The award, given by the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, recognizes individuals for outstanding achievements in the fields of analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy within 10 years after completion of their PhD work.

Katelynn A. Perrault, an assistant professor of forensic sciences and chemistry at Chaminade University of Honolulu in Hawaii the winner of the Satinder Ahuja Award for Young Investigators in Separation Science. This award, presented by the American Chemical Society’s Division of Analytical Chemistry, recognizes and encourages outstanding contributions to the field of separation science by a young chemist or chemical engineer.

Ron Majors is the 2020 winner of the Dal Nogare Award, which is presented by the Chromatography Forum of the Delaware Valley. This award is given to an outstanding scientist in the field of chromatography. Awardees are selected on the basis of their contributions to the fundamental understanding of the chromatographic process.

Milan Mrksich of Northwestern University has won the 2020 Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award, which is presented annually by the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, one of the co-founders of the Pittcon conference. The award honors an individual’s impact in the field of analytical chemistry, including the introduction of a substantial technique, theory, or instrument.

Daniel W. Armstrong, of the University of Texas at Arlington, is the winner of the 2020 LCGC Lifetime Achievement in Chromatography Award, which honors an outstanding and seasoned professional for a lifetime of contributions to the advancement of chromatographic techniques and applications. He recently spoke to us about his work and his career.

This information is supplementary to the article “The Effect of Carrier Liquid Composition on the Molecular Properties of Caseinate Solutions Studied by AF4” that was published in the March 2020 issue of LCGC Europe.

Click the title above to open the LCGC Europe February 2020 regular issue, Volume 33, Number 2, in an interactive PDF format.

The selectivity (α) of an analytical system describes the ability to discriminate between sample components based on differences in chemical and physical-chemical properties.

It was a pretty significant fight to get our most recent paper into the scientific literature. But, after five reviewers opining and four submitted revisions later, we were able to publish a very unique piece of work characterizing anecdotal claims of groundwater contamination in shale energy basins across the United States.

Incognito dons his deerstalker to investigate the truth behind the headlines.

ChromSoc have announced the return of their popular “Grass Roots” event series, and a return to the subject of “Liquid Chromatography Fundamentals” following many requests for another iteration of the original 2016 course.

Knauer employees have used their annual “Social Day” to work with the Berlin City Mission and support the city’s homeless.

Waters Corporation has announced a series of biopharmaceutical events for 2020, beginning with the Biopharma Roadshow Series.

Chicago, Illinois, USA, will host the 71st annual Pittcon conference and exposition. Thosands of separation scientists from across the globe and from a wide spectrum of industries will gather at the McCormick Place convention centre to discuss, investigate, and assess the latest scientific advances in technology and instrumentation.

This article describes the importance of magnetic bead and chromatographic media selection for hybrid LBA/LC–MS/MS workflows.

Click the title above to open The Column February 2020 Europe & Asia issue, Volume 16, Number 2, in an interactive PDF format.