HPLC 2025 Revisited: A Year-End Review of LCGC's Conference Coverage Highlights (Part One)

A major highlight in the chromatography conference calendar this year was without a doubt HPLC 2025, which was held from June 19–25 in Bruges, Belgium with Gert Desmet, Deirdre Cabooter, Sebaastian Eeltink, and Ken Boroekhaven at the helm of the organizing committee. Under the all-seeing eye of Pat Sandra from the RIC group, HPLC 2025 exemplified why face-to-face interaction remains so essential in the chromatography community. Separation science has been gradually evolving, driven by technological developments, a focus on sustainable separation science practices, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and shifting regulatory expectations. It is important to stay informed by reading the latest peer-reviewed articles, technical articles, interviews, opinion pieces, and attending virtual events but being part of the conversation as it happens “in reality” stimulates creativity in the separation science community. LCGC International provided a snapshot of some of the highlights of this year’s event:

Automation and Digital Developments
Automation was a major focus during the early sessions of HPLC 2025, held in Bruges, Belgium, from June 14–18, 2025. In a plenary lecture following the opening ceremony on Sunday, June 14, 2025, Kerstin Thurow from the University of Rostock, Germany, emphasized the importance of automation for the global economy in her talk titled “Automating the Analytical Laboratory–Current Developments and Future Directions.”

Thurow pointed out that modern laboratories face increasing demands for higher throughput, improved accuracy, and cost efficiency. Automation is becoming essential, transforming operations across sample preparation, analysis, data processing, and reporting. She stated that the global laboratory automation market, valued at $5.2 billion in 2022, is expected to grow to $8.4 billion by 2027, driven by sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotech, food testing, and environmental monitoring.

Technologies such as robotic arms, automated liquid handling, and internet of things- (IoT)-enabled devices are creating end-to-end workflows with minimal human intervention, enhancing both efficiency and consistency. While challenges remain—such as integration complexity, high costs, and training requirements—solutions like modular systems offer flexibility and scalability. More of Thurow’s insights can be found in the article she contributed to LCGC International: The Present And Future of Automation in Analytical Laboratories

Developments in digital technologies and automation continued as a major focus at the conference. Pascal Mieville from EPFL Swiss Cat+, Switzerland, showcased a project where high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) were integrated into a fully automated synthetic chemistry laboratory. A workflow that, according to Mieville, can generate data for algorithm training to advance the evolution of self-driving laboratories.

Thorsten Teutenberg from the Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology (IUTA), Germany, contrasted China’s fully autonomous "dark smart factories" with Europe's traditional laboratory practices. He introduced the FutureLab.NRW initiative to improve equipment interoperability and train scientists in automation and data handling of laboratory processes and workflows.

Christian P. Haas from Agilent Technologies, Waldbronn, Germany, discussed AI-powered liquid chromatography systems that optimize gradients autonomously and integrate with digital laboratory environments to improve reproducibility and data quality.

Tomas Leek from AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden emphasized the need for adaptable, resource-efficient workflows in early drug discovery. He presented examples of robotic systems linking multiple laboratories to centralized LC–MS and NMR platforms, supporting high-throughput synthesis, predictive modelling, and compound characterization.

Gesa Schad from Shimadzu Europe, Germany, presented a machine learning-based approach to peptide method development, using intelligent gradient optimization and flow-selection automation to streamline impurity resolution and reduce manual input.

Read more on this session here: Automating The Analytical Laboratory

Oligonucleotide Updates
A topic that is on everyone’s lips in separation science in the biopharmaceutical sector is oligonucleotide analysis. Dwight Stoll from Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota, USA described his research to enhance LC methods for oligonucleotide separations by using longer columns under optimized elution parameters. Stoll also emphasized how pore size greatly influences plate height, which in turn affects resolution in both isocratic and gradient modes.

Martin Gilar from Waters Corporation, Massachusettes, USA demonstrated the significance of nucleic acid melting temperatures and the ability of these molecules to exist as duplexes or single strands for chromatographic analyses. This can affect their retention and separation, according to Gilar, particularly for siRNA, gRNA, and mRNA analyses.

Szabolcs Fekete, also from Waters Corporation in Geneva, Switzerland highlighted in a separate talk on oligonucleotide analysis the benefits of combining weak-to-strong ion-pairing agents in a gradient, as well as using concave gradients with short columns to achieve rapid, and more selective reversed-phase separations for complex oligo mixtures.

Torgny Fornstedt from Karlstad University, Sweden highlighted the importance of ion-pair reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (IP-RP-HLCLC) as the preferred technique for both analytical and preparative oligonucleotide separations. His presentation also introduced a digital, automated approach to resolve overlapping chromatographic peaks.

Read more about this session here: Oligimer Separation Sessions

LCGC International: Video coverage
Alasdair Matheson, Executive Editor of LCGC International, was on-site to conduct video interviews with some of the key opinion leaders in separation science at the event, including:

The "Dynamic Duo of Separation Science" and active members of LCGC International’s editorial advisory board (EAB) Bob Pirok and Peter Schoenmakers from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, launched a comprehensive new textbook at the show: "Analytical Separation Science". Find out why in this short video: Analytical Separation Science Book Launch

Caroline West from the University d'Orleans, France was interviewed on the latest developments in modern SFC and what instrument manufacturers could investigate to make the technique even more widely available in modern laboratories: Modern Supercritical Fluid Chromatography

Kevin Schug from the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas, USA discussed his research in digital method development: The first part of the video interview focused on Surrogate Modelling for the Optimization of SFE–SFC Methods, and the second part explored Data Science Tools for Predicting GC–VUV Spectra.

Bo Zhang from Xiamen University, Xiamen, China offered insight into the rationale behind the development of the MAPS connection device, emphasizing how it addresses limitations associated with conventional zero dead volume (ZDV) fittings, particularly in terms of mechanical stability and ease of use: MAPS: A Zero Dead Volume Connection For Capillary LC

HPLC 2025. Essential Reading
As well as conference reportage and digital coverage at event, there was also essential editorial content organized in synchronicity with the event:

“Column Watch” Editor, Dave Bell, delivered his annual “must read” guide to the hottest topics at this year’s conference, including technological developments, industry trends and prestige poster winners. Read the full review here: Highlights From HPLC 2025

LCGC International’s HPLC Companion 2025 also put a spotlight on important topics covered at the event, including Advances in Automation; Modern Non-targeted Screening Workflows; Sustainability and Separation Science; Going Beyond Micro-pillar Array Columns; Portable LC Instruments, The Evolution of 2D LC; and Functionalized Monoliths for Sample Preparation.

Gert Desmet from the Vrieje University, Brussels, Belgium guest-edited a special supplement related to HPLC 2025—Advances in (U)HPLC—with contributions from key speakers at the event. Topics included a combined iterative DDA–DIA mass-spectrometry workflow, the use of LC×SFC orthogonal 2D separations for complex samples the role of exposomics in food-safety applications, non-animal approaches to predicting skin permeability using LC and SFC, the development of 3D-printed sorbents for untargeted LC–QTOF-MS, and high-throughput metabolomics using dried blood spots (DBS).