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News|Articles|July 1, 2026

ASMS 2026: Yifan Liu and the Need for a Dedicated LT-ZIC-HILIC Retention Time Library

Key Takeaways

  • A dedicated LT‑ZIC‑HILIC retention-time library can strengthen metabolite ID confidence in LC–MS workflows by pairing low-temperature separations with standardized retention information.
  • Coverage of 471/600 metabolite standards indicates substantial library robustness and suggests feasibility for broad metabolomics applications and inter-study harmonization.
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In the third of this four-part series, Yifan Liu of Northeastern University (Boston, MA) discusses the a need for dedicated LT-ZIC-HILIC retention time library for metabolic research.

LCGC International spoke to Yifan Liu of Northeastern University (Boston, MA) regarding her presentation, Low-Temperature HILIC Provides Enhanced Separations and Stability for LC–MS-Based Metabolomics.

Here, Liu weighs in on the need for dedicated LT-ZIC-HILIC retention time library for metabolic research.

“In our most recent work, we already built our LT-ZIC-HILIC library, which identifies 471 out of 600 metabolite standards, so it is quite robust. As for retention-time drift, we applied LT-ZIC-HILIC on another instrument…and found that LT-ZIC-HILIC still outperformed the standard method. We did observe a retention-time shift, but this wasn’t due to the method itself; it was because that instrument is limited to a flow rate of 0.1 mL/min, whereas our optimal flow rate is 0.15 mL/min. So I believe the retention-time shift is due to flow-rate limitations of the instrument, not the method.”

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