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Click the title above to open the LCGC Europe January 2019 regular issue, Vol 32, No 01, in an interactive PDF format.

Click the title above to open the LCGC North America January 2019 regular issue in an interactive PDF format.

The best troubleshooting is proactive; problems are much more easily prevented then solved. Proactive troubleshooting involves anticipating problems before they start, and stopping them before they disrupt your workflow. It also ensures a long operational lifetime for instruments. Unlike many other instruments, a gas chromatograph (GC) has several components, each of which must be properly maintained and optimized for the full instrument to operate properly. This instalment of “GC Connections” focuses on simple proactive steps that users of a gas chromatograph can take to ensure that instruments will operate correctly over time.

This is the final part of a trilogy looking at the impact of the new USP on analytical instrument qualification (AIQ) on data integrity in a regulated chromatography laboratory. This part will focus on the performance qualification (PQ) portion of the 4Qs model and, specifically, monitoring and requalification of chromatographs.

Confusion exists on the quantitative nature of headspace sampling, because it is an equilibrium-based technique when done in the static mode, but not necessarily in the dynamic mode. To aggravate matters further, the concentrations of headspace compounds in common applications, like foods, flavours, or petroleum distillates, can easily vary by an order of magnitude or more. Thus, what defines quantitative may depend largely on the goals of the analysis. This month we’ll take a look at headspace sampling and its quantitative nature.

LCGC Europe spoke to Alina Muscalu from the Organic Contaminants Section at Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) in Toronto, Canada, about the practical advances in environmental analysis using comprehensive GC×GC for targeted and nontargeted analysis, the role of GC×GC in routine analysis, and the benefits of using a micro-electron capture detector (μECD) for environmental analysis.

Challenges that can be encountered when using isocratic high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can be overcome by using gradient HPLC.

The 52nd Annual Conference of the German Society for Mass Spectrometry (DGMS 2019) will be held 10–13 March 2019, together with the Spring Meeting of the German Physics Society (DPG). This double conference will be hosted by the University of Rostock as a main event in its 600-year anniversary celebrations.

Determining the higher order structure of a protein pharmaceutical is important. Here, we review the approaches for HOS determination that are currently receiving the most attention in the literature and at scientific meetings.

The elution mechanisms for gradient and isocratic HPLC are fundamentally different from each other. Here is what you should understand about both.

By taking simple proactive troubleshooting steps, GC users can ensure that instruments will operate correctly over time, thus avoiding workflow disruptions.

The occurrence of additives like plasticizers in plastic food packaging has been documented, but information on their potential migration into foods is limited. In this pilot study, 2D GC–MS was used to identify chemicals extracted from a common stretch plastic film with a series of organic solvents. In total, 91 compounds were tentatively identified, including five PCBs.

There are many factors to consider in a data integrity and governance program. Fortunately, a simple diagram can help us understand what needs to be covered.

Biotherapeutics have become the hottest topic in pharmaceutical research over the past decade. With the increased interest in biotherapeutics, there has been a concomitant increase in new analytical methods for characterizing these large, complex molecules. This installment of “Column Watch” discusses advances in “bottom-up” analysis of monoclonal antibodies, while highlighting the role and importance column chemistry still plays in developing highly selective high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods for peptides.

Click the title above to open The Column December 2018 North American issue in an interactive PDF format.

Click the title above to open The Column December 2018 European/Asia issue in an interactive PDF format.

Selected highlights of innovative chromatography products.

A team of French researchers have demonstrated a new mass spectrometry technology based on nanomechanical resonators that is capable of measuring the mass of particles mega- to giga-dalton range.

Crawford Scientific has announced the acquisition of Anatune Ltd.

The analysis of skeletal remains using GC–MS from Gaul settlement excavations in Southern France has confirmed the ritualistic practice of head embalming in ancient Gaul culture.

Peak Scientific and Macfarlane Packaging have been awarded the “Supply Chain Solution of the Year Award” at the 2018 UK Packaging Awards.

Incognito scrutinizes the behaviour of baby boomers and Generation X, Y, and Z in the laboratory. What do they want from the workplace?

UV detectors are undoubtedly the most frequently used type of detector with HPLC systems, and I predict this will continue for many years, despite the rise of the modular mass spectrometric detector.