Best of the Week: From Green Affinity Chromatography to AI and GLP-1 Peptide Robustness

This week's Chromatography Online highlights offer something for every analytical scientist looking to sharpen their methods and stay ahead of the field. Discover how green chemistry principles are reshaping affinity chromatography in our conversation with David Hage, Sanduni Heenkenda, and Zoe Zingler of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, then dive into our two-part interview with Novartis's Martina Lioi on pairing IP-HILIC with reversed-phase chromatography to map impurities in fatty acid–linked siRNAs. If you work in nontarget screening, don't miss Stockholm University's Anneli Kruve on why toxicity predictions from MS²-derived molecular fingerprints outperform spectral-similarity methods for prioritizing unknowns in food, or Jan Christensen's look at how quantitative non-targeted screening with predicted response factors can rank environmental chemicals by concentration and toxicity. Peptide method developers will find practical guidance in our expert panel on GLP-1 methods, which pinpoints the parameters, from temperature and flow rate to dwell volume, that make (or break) robustness and tech transfer. Curious about where artificial intelligence really stands in our discipline? Gert Desmet of Vrije Universiteit Brussel separates fact from hype on AI and machine learning in separation science. And to celebrate National Chemistry Week, we're sharing "Conversations with Michael Dong," featuring highlights from his 2026 video series "HPLC in Pharmaceutical Analysis," including episodes on the hydrophobic retention mechanism in reversed-phase chromatography and choosing buffers for mobile phase A. Read, watch, and bring fresh insight back to your laboratory.

This is the Best of the Week.

Green Chemistry Meeta Affinity Chromatography
LCGC International spoke to David Hage, Sanduni Heenkenda, and Zoe Zingler of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln about how green chemistry principles are reshaping affinity chromatography.¹

HILIC VS RP: Separating Impurities in Fatty-Acid-Conjugated siRNAs

In this two-part of our interview, Novartis's Martina Lioi talks about pairing IP-HILIC and RP to map impurities in fatty acid–linked siRNAs,² and using IP-HILIC and RP for lipid-siRNA impurities.³

Part 1
Part 2

Prioritizing Unknowns in Nontarget Screening of Food Samples

Stockholm University’s Anneli Kruve reports that toxicity predictions from MS2-derived molecular fingerprints outperform spectral-similarity methods in nontarget screening of food.⁴

Robustness and Tech Transfer for GLP-1 Peptide Methods

Panelists identify the parameters that make, or break, peptide method robustness and tech transfer, including temperature, flow rate, and dwell volume.⁵

AI ML Now: Gert Desmet on the State of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Separation Science

Gert Desmet of the Vrije Universiteit Brussels (Belgium) examines where are we now with artificial intelligence and machine learning in separation science, as well as popular misconceptions about AI/ML in separation science.⁶

Jan Christensen on Quantitative Non-Targeted Screening

Quantitative non-targeted screening with predicted response factors is not for regulation but can rank environmental chemicals by concentration and toxicity.⁷

Conversations with Michael Dong

Michael Dong, editor of LCGC International's "Perspectives in HPLC" column, has launched a video series in 2026 called "HPLC in Pharmaceutical Analysis," which explores how the technique is used in the pharmaceutical field. In celebration of National Chemistry Week at the end of October, ChromatographyOnline.com is pleased to share "Conversations with Michael Dong" this month, featuring highlights from the series.^8,9

Reversed-Phase Chromatography: Retention Mechanism of Hydrophobic Interaction

Buffers for Mobile Phase A in Pharmaceutical Analysis

References

1. Hage, D.; Heenkenda, S.; Zingler, Z. et al. Green Chemistry Meets Affinity Chromatography.Chromatography Online website. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/green-chemistry-meets-affinity-chromatography (accessed 2026-10-15)
2. Lioi, M. HILIC VS RP: Separating Impurities in Fatty-Acid-Conjugated siRNAs (Part 1). Chromatography Online website. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/hilic-vs-rp-separating-impurities-in-fatty-acid-conjugated-sirnas-part-1- accessed 2026-10-15)
3. Lioi, M. HILIC VS RP: Separating Impurities in Fatty-Acid-Conjugated siRNAs (Part 2). Chromatography Online website. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/hilic-vs-rp-separating-impurities-in-fatty-acid-conjugated-sirnas-part-2-(accessed 2026-10-15)
4. Kruve, A.; Jones, K. Prioritizing Unknowns in Nontarget Screening of Food Samples. Chromatography Online website. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/prioritizing-unknowns-in-nontarget-screening-of-food-samples (accessed 2026-10-15)
5. Whitmarsh, S.; Sharma, N.; Alvarez, P.Robustness and Tech Transfer for GLP-1 Peptide Methods. Chromatography Online website.https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/robustness-and-tech-transfer-for-glp-1-peptide-methods (accessed 2026-10-15)
6. Desmet, G.; Matheson, A. AI ML Now: Gert Desmet on the State of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Separation Science. Chromatography Online website.https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/ai-ml-now-gert-desmet-on-the-state-of-artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning-in-separation-science (accessed 2026-10-15)
7. Christensen, J. H.; Matheson, A. Jan Christensen on Quantitative Non-Targeted Screening. Chromatography Online website.https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/jan-christensen-on-quantitative-non-targeted-screening (accessed 2026-10-15)
8. Dong, M. Conversations with Michael Dong: Reversed-Phase Chromatography: Retention Mechanism of Hydrophobic Interaction.Chromatography Online website. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/conversations-with-michael-dong-reversed-phase-chromatography-retention-mechanism-of-hydrophobic-interaction (accessed 2026-10-15)
9. Dong, M. Conversations with Michael Dong: Buffers for Mobile Phase A in Pharmaceutical Analysis. Chromatography Online website.https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/conversations-with-michael-dong-buffers-mobile-phase-a-pharmaceutical-analysis (accessed 2026-10-15)