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An excerpt from LCGC’s e-learning tutorial on troubleshooting autosampler contamination at CHROMacademy.com

Metabolomics, a word coined in 1998, is the study of small molecules (that is, organic chemicals with a molecular weight of 50–2000 Daltons) present in a given biological fluid, tissue, organ, organism, and environment at a given time. Using the power and high throughput of analytical platforms, such as mass spectrometry (MS) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, metabolomics promises to be a cornerstone in innovations and discoveries in the areas of medicine, agriculture, biomedical, space, and environment. Thus, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates and doctorates who interface with analytical chemistry need to prepare for the challenges of academia or industry as metabolomics research takes a centre stage in this big data era.

Peak intensity enhancement is one highly desirable outcome of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC). When coupled to mass spectrometry (MS), such enhancement is usually achieved with a thermal modulator using a technique called cryogenic zone compression (CZC). Differential flow modulation is a simple and cost-effective alternative to thermal modulation, but the requisite high flow rates are generally perceived as being incompatible with most (electron ionization [EI] and chemical ionization [CI]) mass spectrometers. The past decade has witnessed resurgent interest in coupling GC to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), which requires high gas flows to assist ionization. This article reports on the modification of a GC–APCI system with a flow modulator and evaluates its potential to enhance the sensitivity towards selected trace organics.

Josef Heiland has been awarded the 2018 Eberhard Gerstel Prize for his publication “Temperature Gradient Elution and Superheated Eluents in Chip-HPLC” (1), which was published in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

Agilent Technologies has announced an agreement to acquire Genohm, a developer of highly differentiated, on-premise, and cloud-based software solutions for laboratory management.

LabConnect LLC, a global provider of central laboratory and support services for biopharmaceutical, medical device, and contract research organization, has completed phase one of a 11,000 square foot facility expansion in Johnson City, Tennessee, USA.

Researchers from Gdansk University of Technology, Poland, have investigated the flavour profiles of e-cigarette refill solutions using GC–MS/MS.

Click the title above to open the LCGC Asia Pacific June 2018 regular issue in an interactive PDF format.

Click the title above to open the LCGC Europe June 2018 regular issue in an interactive PDF format.

What can metal–organic frameworks offer for liquid chromatography?

Here, we see how 2D-LC can solve coelution problems that are difficult or impossible to address using peak purity tools or curve resolution methods.

With autosamplers, we need to be extra careful to avoid contamination.

Comprehensive 2D-LC using HILIC and reversed-phase LC is a robust tool to characterize nonionic ethoxylated surfactants in pharmaceutical formulations.

We examine the connection between the distribution coefficient and Gibbs free energy, and contributions from enthalpy and entropy.

Drug discovery can be accelerated by chromatographic profiling of analogs by measuring their nonspecific binding to proteins and lipids.

An introduction to this special issue from the guest editor.

The packed particle bed format still rules LC columns, but advances continue in monoliths. Meanwhile, newer formats are on the horizon, including microfabricated columns and 3D printed columns. This article provides a critical review of all these technologies and demonstrates how further development of chromatographic columns will be of paramount importance in the future.

Thermal effects in UHPLC and low-density SFC cause peak broadening and distortion. A solution to this problem is to thermally insulate the chromatographic column. Vacuum-jacketed column technology has been developed as a new approach to insulate the column in a practical way.

This article highlights the use of a new HILIC zwitterionic phase on superficially porous particles. A study on the use of a novel mobile-phase additive to achieve superior peak shape and isomer separation is also discussed, as well as improved LC–MS detection capabilities for metabolomics analysis.

Liquid chromatography (LC) is proving to be a valuable complementary technique to gas chromatography (GC) in cannabis testing for the analysis of cannabinoids, mycotoxins, and pesticides.

Today, I learned of the passing of a dear friend and a valued collaborator, Walton Caldwell, who founded the company Princeton Chromatography in 1994.

Is it time to update your working practices?

Postnova Analytics has announced a joint collaboration with the Department of Biosciences at the University of Helsinki in Finland, to use AF4 for the purification of halophilic viruses.

Restek has partnered with the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania to host three STEM expos with the aim of building basic science skills in girls.

Peak Scientific has given a guided tour of their manufacturing headquarters in Inchinnan, Scotland, to his Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester to mark the company’s 20th anniversary

Researchers from the University of Almería, in Almería, Spain, have developed a nontargeted metabolomic approach to differentiate organic and non-organic tomato crops using HPLC–HRAMS.

Researchers from the Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, in France, have developed a large volume injection method using a programmed temperature vaporization (PTV) injector for the simultaneous determination of mercury, tin, and lead at ultra-trace levels in natural waters using GC–ICP-MS.