Los Angeles, California —LECO Corporation has partnered with California State University, Los Angeles, on the development of its new LECO Complex Chemical Compositional Analysis Lab. The opening of the lab on September 19th marked a significant step towards advancing research and education in complex chemical analysis not only at the university but throughout the West Coast.
The new C3AL, as it is referred to, is located in the renovated laboratory of Rosser Hall at CSULA. Here, students, colleagues, and partners will study the composition and structure of complex chemical samples under the direction of Dr. Petr Vozka, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
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<h5><a href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/companies/219">Complex Chemical Composition Analysis Lab (C³AL)</a></h5>
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We are a research group in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University, Los Angeles. Our research revolves around the characterization of complex chemical mixtures via state-of-the-art techniques, inlcuding <a href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/library?instrumentationItems=2&amp;manufacturerItems=25">two-dimensional gas chromatography</a> and <a href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/library?instrumentationItems=3-5-13&amp;manufacturerItems=25">high-resolution mass spectrometry</a>.
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&quot;The mission of CSULA is to mold adept students ready to lead in the industry and excel in top-tier graduate programs,&quot; said Dr. Vozka. &quot;Every milestone, every achievement, is a testament to our collective efforts.”
&quot;The opportunity to partner with Dr. Vozka and the Cal State community presented itself when we learned of Petr&#39;s commitment to educating the next generation of scientists on powerful new techniques for the identification of unknowns,&quot; said Farai Rukunda, Director of Separation Science at LECO. &quot;As the industry leader in instrumentation for complex sample analysis, it was a natural fit for us to work together to ensure these new and emerging leaders had exposure to and the proper training on these new revolutionary techniques.&quot;
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_LECO_Launches_New_Laboratory_in_Partnership_with_California_State_University_Los_Angeles_03_bcbfbd5027/LECO-LECO-Launches-New-Laboratory-in-Partnership-with-California-State-University-Los-Angeles-03.jpg" alt="LECO - LECO Launches New Laboratory in Partnership with California State University, Los Angeles 03.jpg"/>
As part of its contribution to the new laboratory, LECO provided state-of-the-art time-of-flight mass spectrometry equipment. The Pegasus BT brings <a href="https://gcms.cz/products/36">GC</a>, <a href="https://gcms.cz/products/37">GCxGC</a>, and TOFMS capabilities to the laboratory and allows for deep investigations to a variety of complex samples and interesting questions. Having access to this technology provides the students at the C3AL an opportunity to collaborate with and learn from industry leaders currently using these same tools to solve real-world problems.
LECO, based in St. Joseph, Michigan, plans to utilize the lab for future training and product demonstrations on the West Coast as well.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_LECO_Launches_New_Laboratory_in_Partnership_with_California_State_University_Los_Angeles_05_ed3508194d/LECO-LECO-Launches-New-Laboratory-in-Partnership-with-California-State-University-Los-Angeles-05.jpg" alt="LECO - LECO Launches New Laboratory in Partnership with California State University, Los Angeles 05.jpg"/>
&quot;The West Coast continues to be a hot spot for laboratories doing discovery work in the areas of unknown analyte detection, particularly in areas like Metabolomics and Environmental Forensics,&quot; said Dave Russ, US Sales Manager for Separation Science. &quot;The C3AL lab gives us access to a working LECO laboratory on the West Coast, so we can better support this growing community.&quot;
Following the ceremony, Christopher Warren, President of LECO Corporation, affirmed the company&#39;s commitment to supporting the lab for years to come.
&quot;This new partnership promotes advancement in research capabilities and provides students with the opportunity to make their mark on chemical analysis,&quot; says Chris Warren, President of LECO Corporation. &quot;As scientists ourselves, we look forward to mentoring the next generation in solving tomorrow&#39;s complex problems today&quot;.
For more information on the Cal State LA/LECO C3AL lab, please contact Dr. Petr Vozka at pvozka@calstatela.edu.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_LECO_Launches_New_Laboratory_in_Partnership_with_California_State_University_Los_Angeles_01_b628ada80f/LECO-LECO-Launches-New-Laboratory-in-Partnership-with-California-State-University-Los-Angeles-01.jpg" alt="LECO - LECO Launches New Laboratory in Partnership with California State University, Los Angeles 01.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_LECO_Launches_New_Laboratory_in_Partnership_with_California_State_University_Los_Angeles_04_1621f2a437/LECO-LECO-Launches-New-Laboratory-in-Partnership-with-California-State-University-Los-Angeles-04.jpg" alt="LECO - LECO Launches New Laboratory in Partnership with California State University, Los Angeles 04.jpg"/>
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_LECO_Launches_New_Laboratory_in_Partnership_with_California_State_University_Los_Angeles_06_671613a80c/LECO-LECO-Launches-New-Laboratory-in-Partnership-with-California-State-University-Los-Angeles-06.jpg" alt="LECO - LECO Launches New Laboratory in Partnership with California State University, Los Angeles 06.jpg"/>

LECO Launches New Laboratory in Partnership with California State University, Los Angeles

🎤 Presenter: Jan Hlavsa (Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic)💾 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/paper/28872">PDF presentation</a><blockquote>💡 Book in your calendar: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/events/787">17th Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop (MDCW)</a> 13 - 15. January 2026</blockquote><h3>Abstract</h3> We present a method for the recognition of the identity and sex given a GC×GC chromatogram of a scent sample. In all stages, the method is fully automatic. First, the chromatogram is aligned by identifying 2D peak locations of pre-determined compounds that have been found to be present in all samples. The peak location is the point of maximum correlation with a machine-learned prototype of its spectrogram within a pre-learned part of the chromatogram. The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/library?instrumentationItems=2">GCxGC</a> space is triangulated and affine warped to canonical coordinates. In the second step, the aligned chromatogram is flattened to a 1D vector whose values are, depending on the experiment, the total mass recorded at a given time, or the output of a spectrometer. The vector is the input of the identity or sex classifier. Two types of classifiers were trained and evaluated - the SVM (polynomial and RBF kernels) and a shallow convolution neural network.Experiments were carried out on data collected from the palms of 40 volunteers onto glass beads, extracted into ethanol, and analysed by a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/library?instrumentationItems=2-13&amp;manufacturerItems=25">LECO GC×GC-ToF </a>over a three year period ( 2019-2022) . Each volunteer provided at least 10 samples, each a week apart. In case of the gender identification, by finding an optimal linear projection of the Total Ion Chromatogram data, we achieve approximately 85% validation accuracy in sex identification using 10-fold cross-validation on a balanced dataset (50% male, 50% female) of 504 measurements from 40 identities. The top 5 validation accuracy for classifying 20 identities is approximately 60%.<h3>Video transcription</h3>Jan Hlavsa presented research focused on automatic sex classification and identity verification from human scent chromatograms using GC×GC-ToFMS. The project is a collaboration between the Czech Technical University in Prague and the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, with computational support from the LUMI supercomputer (over 120,000 GPU hours).<h4>Data and Methods</h4><ul><li>Samples: 2,528 chromatograms collected from 252 volunteers, analyzed by GC×GC-ToFMS.</li><li>Data representation: raw outputs with no pre-processing, stored as 3D tensors (mass spectrum, 1st retention time, 2nd retention time). Each dataset ~4 GB.</li><li>Chromatogram alignment: fully automatic registration using 24 chemical marker compounds and piecewise linear transformation.</li><li>Model: convolutional neural networks (CNNs) applied for both sex classification and identity verification tasks.</li></ul><h4>Sex Classification</h4><ul><li>Task: determine the biological sex of a donor from a human scent chromatogram.</li><li>Results:<ul><li>Reduced spectral dimension data: 84.5% accuracy.</li><li>Full data: 94.5% accuracy.</li></ul></li></ul><h4>Identity Verification</h4><ul><li>Task: verify whether two scent samples come from the same individual.</li><li>Evaluation metric: AUC (Area Under the ROC Curve).</li><li>Results:<ul><li>Training set: AUC = 0.96.</li><li>Validation set: AUC = 0.93.</li></ul></li></ul><h4>Key Advantages</h4><ul><li>Fully automated workflow requiring zero manual intervention during chromatogram registration.</li><li>Reproducible results with open-source Python code soon to be available.</li><li>High accuracy in both sex classification and identity verification tasks.</li></ul><h4>Conclusion</h4><ul><li>This study demonstrates that GC×GC analysis of human scent, combined with convolutional neural networks, can successfully differentiate sex and verify identity with high accuracy. Future work will focus on expanding the datasets and further optimizing the methodology.</li></ul><blockquote>This text has been automatically transcribed from a video presentation using AI technology. It may contain inaccuracies and is not guaranteed to be 100% correct.</blockquote>

Sex and person identity recognition from GC×GC analysis of scent samples (Jan Hlavsa, MDCW 2025)

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/articles?search=petr+vozka">Dr. Petr Vozka</a>'s innovative research at California State University, Los Angeles is advancing the field of forensic chemistry through the comprehensive analysis of fingerprint aging. The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/companies/219">Complex Chemical Composition Analysis Lab (C³AL)</a> utilizes cutting-edge comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/library?instrumentationItems=13-2-3&amp;manufacturerItems=25">GC×GC-TOFMS</a>) to analyze fingerprint chemical composition changes over time [1]. Central to this complex analytical workflow is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/1916">Organomation's 15 position MICROVAP nitrogen evaporator</a>, which plays a crucial role in sample preparation and concentration. This case study explores how the integration of the MICROVAP system has enhanced sample processing efficiency, improved reproducibility, and ultimately contributed to groundbreaking discoveries in fingerprint aging research that could transform forensic investigations.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Organomation_Enhancing_Forensic_Fingerprint_Analysis_How_the_MICROVAP_Sample_Concentrator_Aids_Solvent_Removal_d717987163.jpg" alt="Organomation: Enhancing Forensic Fingerprint Analysis - How the MICROVAP Sample Concentrator Aids Solvent Removal" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Organomation_Enhancing_Forensic_Fingerprint_Analysis_How_the_MICROVAP_Sample_Concentrator_Aids_Solvent_Removal_d717987163.jpg 230w," sizes="100vw" width="1080" height="733"><h5>Background: Dr. Vozka's Pioneering Fingerprint Research</h5><blockquote>Watch our exclusive interview with Dr. Petr Vozka <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KncYDw-UCdg">here</a>!</blockquote>Dr. Petr Vozka serves as an Assistant Professor of Analytical Chemistry at California State University, Los Angeles, where he established the Complex Chemical Composition Analysis Lab (C³AL). His research facility has emerged as a beacon of opportunity for first-generation and underrepresented students, providing hands-on experience with advanced analytical instrumentation. The lab's partnership with LECO Corporation has been transformative, equipping students with access to a state-of-the-art comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography system [2]. This collaboration was formalized in 2023 when LECO presented Dr. Vozka with a GC×GC-enabled Pegasus TOFMS system in recognition of his extensive work in microplastics analysis using GC×GC technology, as well as his efforts in training the next generation of GC×GC users [2].Among Dr. Vozka's most promising research initiative is his collaboration with the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center on fingerprint aging research. This innovative project aims to understand how fingerprint components change over time, with the ultimate goal of developing a reliable aging model that could revolutionize forensic investigations [3]. The significance of this research extends beyond academic interest, potentially providing law enforcement with crucial temporal information about when fingerprints were deposited at crime scenes. By analyzing the complex chemical composition of fingerprints and monitoring how specific compounds degrade or transform over time, Dr. Vozka's team is laying the scientific groundwork for fingerprint chronology, an area that has traditionally depended on circumstantial evidence or witness testimony [3].<h4>The Fingerprint Analysis Workflow Challenge</h4>The analytical workflow for fingerprint aging analysis presents several challenges that require an innovative solution. The process begins with careful sample collection, where technicians moisten cotton swabs with dichloromethane and methodically swab the fingerprint from its surface [3]. This initial extraction captures numerous organic compounds present in fingerprints, with primary targets including cholesterol metabolites and squalene [3]. However, these compounds exist in extremely low concentrations in fingerprints, making their detection and quantification particularly challenging without proper sample preparation and concentration steps.Before these samples can be analyzed using the GC×GC-TOFMS system, they must undergo a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.organomation.com/what-is-sample-concentration">critical concentration step to remove excess solvent </a>while preserving the target analytes [4]. This intermediate step posed several technical hurdles for Dr. Vozka's research team. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blog.organomation.com/blog/diy-evaporation-setups-vs.-professional-nitrogen-blowdown-systems-knowing-when-to-upgrade">Manual evaporation methods</a> were time-consuming and introduced significant variability between samples, potentially compromising the reliability of their aging models. Inconsistent evaporation rates and temperatures could lead to selective loss of volatile compounds, skewing the chemical profile of the fingerprint samples. Additionally, the research involved processing multiple samples from different time points to track changes over time, creating a workflow bottleneck with traditional single-sample evaporation methods.The precision required for forensic applications added another layer of complexity to the sample preparation process. Even minor variations in concentration technique could significantly impact the final analytical results and the validity of any aging models developed. The research team needed a solution that could provide controlled, reproducible evaporation for multiple samples simultaneously, while maintaining the integrity of the complex mixture of compounds present in fingerprint residues [4]. This critical stage in the analytical workflow presented an ideal opportunity for technological intervention to enhance both throughput and data quality.<h4>The MICROVAP: Efficient Sample Concentration</h4>The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/1916">15 position MICROVAP nitrogen evaporator</a> from Organomation emerged as the ideal solution for Dr. Vozka's fingerprint analysis workflow. This compact benchtop evaporator is specifically designed for small batch solvent evaporations, such as concentrations of sample groups in microcentrifuge tubes, making it perfectly suited for the fingerprint extract samples collected on dichloromethane-moistened swabs [5]. The system's ability to simultaneously process up to 15 samples significantly improved laboratory throughput, allowing the research team to analyze multiple fingerprint samples within a single batch [4, 5]. This capability is especially valuable in fingerprint aging studies, where comparing samples collected at different time intervals is essential for developing accurate temporal models.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Organomation_15_Position_MICROVAP_Nitrogen_Evaporator_2_af9f41666c.jpg" alt="Organomation: 15 Position MICROVAP Nitrogen Evaporator" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Organomation_15_Position_MICROVAP_Nitrogen_Evaporator_2_af9f41666c.jpg 158w," sizes="100vw" width="2984" height="2953">The MICROVAP's precision temperature control, ranging from room temperature to 130°C with accuracy of ± 2°C, provides the careful regulation necessary for compound preservation during the concentration process. This feature is critical when working with fingerprint samples that contain a complex mixture of target compounds which may be susceptible to evaporation or degradation under higher temperature conditions. The newly redesigned heating unit offers <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blog.organomation.com/blog/redesigned-blow-down-evaporator-for-autosampler-vials-and-96-well-plates">enhanced heat stability for low-temperature applications</a>, which is crucial for preserving thermally labile residues. The system's stainless steel luer lock hubs and 4-inch x 19-gauge stainless steel needles enable precise control of nitrogen flow, further enhancing evaporation consistency and sample integrity [5].Implementation of the MICROVAP system into Dr. Vozka's laboratory workflow was straightforward due to its user-friendly design and minimal footprint. With a digital temperature controller and adjustable flow meter, the system allows for easy optimization based on sample and solvent properties. Its compact design conserves valuable hood space, a key benefit in space-constrained academic labs. Custom-designed sample blocks and inserts ensure optimal fit and efficient heat transfer for the specific glassware used in the fingerprint analysis workflow, further enhancing the processes efficiency and reproducibility [5].<h4>Impact and Results</h4>The integration of the 15 position MICROVAP into Dr. Vozka's fingerprint analysis workflow has yielded impressive improvements in both efficiency and analytical quality. Sample preparation time has been significantly reduced, allowing the research team to process more samples in less time and accelerating their progress toward developing a comprehensive fingerprint aging model. The batch processing capability has eliminated a major bottleneck in their workflow, enabling the analysis of larger sample sets that provide more robust statistical data for their aging models. This increased throughput has been achieved without sacrificing sample quality, thanks to the MICROVAP's precise control of evaporation parameters [4].Sample-to-sample consistency has dramatically improved since implementing the MICROVAP system, resulting in more reliable detection of critical chemical markers in fingerprint residues. The research team has been able to successfully detect cholesterol metabolites across samples, although they noted that squalene was not consistently detected in all samples, highlighting the complexity of fingerprint composition analysis [3]. The controlled evaporation environment provided by the MICROVAP has minimized the selective loss of volatile compounds, ensuring that the chemical profiles obtained from GC×GC-TOFMS analysis accurately represent the original fingerprint composition [4]. This improvement in analytical fidelity is essential for developing reliable aging models that can withstand forensic scrutiny.The safety aspects of the MICROVAP system have also benefited the laboratory environment, particularly when working with dichloromethane, a potential health hazard that requires careful handling. The enclosed evaporation process of the evaporator in the fume hood minimizes researcher exposure to solvent vapors, creating a safer working environment for researchers [5]. Additionally, the system's reliability has reduced the need for sample reprocessing, conserving valuable resources and maximizing the productivity of the laboratory. The consistent results obtained with the MICROVAP system have strengthened the validity of Dr. Vozka's research findings, positioning his team at the forefront of forensic fingerprint aging analysis [4].<h4>Future Directions and Conclusion</h4>Dr. Vozka's innovative application of GC×GC-TOFMS combined with the efficient sample preparation capabilities of the 15 position MICROVAP represents a significant advancement in forensic fingerprint analysis. The integration of this specialized evaporation technology has not only enhanced research productivity but also improved the quality and reliability of analytical results essential for developing accurate fingerprint aging models [4]. As the research continues, Dr. Vozka's team plans to refine their methods further, possibly expanding their analyte panel to include additional chemical markers that may provide more precise aging information [3]. The versatility of the MICROVAP system will support these evolving research needs, accommodating different sample types and volumes as the project progresses.The successful implementation of the 15 position MICROVAP in Dr. Vozka's laboratory demonstrates the critical importance of appropriate sample preparation technologies in advanced analytical workflows. While sophisticated instrumentation like GC×GC-TOFMS receives much attention, the quality of data ultimately depends on careful sample processing throughout the analytical workflow. Organomation's MICROVAP has proven to be an essential component in bridging the gap between sample collection and high-resolution analysis, ensuring that the full potential of advanced chromatographic techniques can be reached. As Dr. Vozka continues to train the next generation of analytical chemists and forensic scientists at Cal State LA, the integration of professional-grade sample preparation equipment like the MICROVAP provides students with valuable hands-on experience that mirrors real-world laboratory practices, preparing them for successful careers in analytical science.<blockquote>In need of a sample concentrator for your lab? Easily find the best model for your application by using our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.organomation.com/support/contact-help-support/sample-evaporator-product-finder">evaporator product finder tool</a>.</blockquote>

Enhancing Forensic Fingerprint Analysis: How the MICROVAP Sample Concentrator Aids Solvent Removal

Labs&nbsp;that rely on helium gas are&nbsp;facing a major crisis…unless they have LECO instruments.&nbsp;Due to the military conflict in the Middle East, Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City,&nbsp;the world’s largest helium production hub, providing one-third of the world’s helium,&nbsp;has&nbsp;shut down operations.&nbsp;To make matters worse,&nbsp;the Strait of Hormuz,&nbsp;the shipping lane used to&nbsp;export helium, has also been closed,&nbsp;meaning&nbsp;even pre-filled helium containers are stuck&nbsp;with&nbsp;no&nbsp;viable&nbsp;route to customers.&nbsp;Naturally,&nbsp;the price&nbsp;of helium has now risen&nbsp;dramatically;&nbsp;most spot prices have doubled.&nbsp;A&nbsp;critical&nbsp;scarcity&nbsp;issue&nbsp;is looming as&nbsp;the world must now&nbsp;operate&nbsp;on&nbsp;roughly 5.2&nbsp;million cubic meters&nbsp;per&nbsp;month&nbsp;less of helium.&nbsp;<h3>Why Helium&nbsp;Cost and Supply&nbsp;Matters&nbsp;to Labs&nbsp;</h3>Although many people may recognize helium&nbsp;as the gas that fills party balloons,&nbsp;it&nbsp;plays a&nbsp;critical&nbsp;role in much&nbsp;more serious&nbsp;matters.&nbsp;Helium&nbsp;has&nbsp;unique properties, like an extremely low boiling point, inertness, and high thermal conductivity, which&nbsp;makes&nbsp;it indispensable in several high-tech applications.&nbsp;&nbsp;For example, research labs&nbsp;may use helium as a&nbsp;carrier&nbsp;gas&nbsp;when performing&nbsp;elemental analyses or&nbsp;gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, which is used&nbsp;to&nbsp;separate and&nbsp;identify&nbsp;chemical compounds in samples.&nbsp;But research labs&nbsp;are&nbsp;often&nbsp;government-funded and run under strict budgets,&nbsp;so&nbsp;the price hike&nbsp;on&nbsp;helium could&nbsp;mean labs have to&nbsp;pause&nbsp;their research until everything falls back&nbsp;under control,&nbsp;which could be months or longer.&nbsp;Even well-funded labs could suffer if the supply is simply too stretched to&nbsp;equip&nbsp;the lab with&nbsp;what&nbsp;they need, as medical uses are given top priority.&nbsp;This could have a serious impact on accuracy and compliance with regulated methods.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>The Consequences&nbsp;Reach Farther&nbsp;</h3>When helium becomes unavailable or prohibitively expensive, the ripple effects are immediate and far-reaching. It affects more than&nbsp;just&nbsp;balloons and research labs:&nbsp;<ul><li>Delayed Medical Diagnostics: MRI machines, which rely on helium to cool their superconducting magnets, may be taken offline, delaying critical scans.&nbsp;</li><li>Semiconductor Bottlenecks: Chip shortages could worsen,&nbsp;impacting&nbsp;everything from smartphones to electric vehicles and AI infrastructure.&nbsp;</li><li>Industrial Disruption: Welding, aerospace, and fiber optics manufacturing&nbsp;face rising costs and potential production halts.&nbsp;</li></ul><h3>LECO’s Solution: Instruments That&nbsp;Don’t&nbsp;Rely on Helium&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>Amidst this pending&nbsp;crisis, LECO offers a practical and forward-thinking solution.&nbsp;This marks the 5th&nbsp;major helium supply crisis since 2006,&nbsp;and&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;likely there will be more after this. Helium&nbsp;supply is concentrated&nbsp;to&nbsp;just a few regions, meaning that any time there is a disruption to one of these, it can create a large effect on the industry.&nbsp;That’s&nbsp;why we designed our innovative analytical instruments&nbsp;to&nbsp;operate&nbsp;using alternative carrier gases.&nbsp;&nbsp;Depending on the instrument, alternative gases&nbsp;such as nitrogen,&nbsp;argon,&nbsp;or hydrogen may be used in place of helium. These gases are&nbsp;abundant, cost-effective, and&nbsp;less prone&nbsp;to the geopolitical volatility that plagues helium supply chains.&nbsp;&nbsp;LECO’s helium-free&nbsp;options&nbsp;ensure that operations stay online, efficient, and future-proof&nbsp;in a world where helium is becoming increasingly scarce and expensive.&nbsp;This flexibility is no longer a luxury—it’s&nbsp;a necessity.&nbsp;If your lab or facility is feeling the pressure of helium scarcity, now is the time to explore alternatives.&nbsp;This&nbsp;isn’t&nbsp;the first helium shortage, and it&nbsp;won’t&nbsp;be the last.&nbsp;Is your lab prepared?<h3>LECO Instruments Supporting Non-Helium Carrier Gases&nbsp;</h3><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/36">Pegasus BT</a> (Bench-Top GC–TOFMS, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/37">incl. BT 4D</a>)</h4><ul><li>Supported Carrier Gases: Helium or Hydrogen</li><li>Notes on Usage / Limitations: Supports H₂ as GC carrier with a retrofit kit for safety. Performance on hydrogen is on par with helium – the Pegasus BT series meets its full sensitivity specs with either gas.</li><li>App Note: “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/PEGBT_TEA_TREE_ESSENTIAL_OIL_HYDROGEN_CARRIER_GAS_203_821_651_95c7a05807/PEGBT_TEA_TREE_ESSENTIAL_OIL_HYDROGEN_CARRIER_GAS_203-821-651.pdf">A Rapid, Robust and Sensitive Analysis of Tea Tree Essential Oil Quality by GC-TOFMS with Hydrogen as Carrier Gas</a>”</li></ul><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_Pegasus_BT_2_bc8a8d0505.jpg" alt="LECO: Pegasus BT" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_LECO_Pegasus_BT_2_bc8a8d0505.jpg 238w," sizes="100vw" width="932" height="612"><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/1097">Pegasus BTX</a> (Next-gen BT, incl. BTX 4D)</h4><ul><li>Supported Carrier Gases: Helium or Hydrogen</li><li>Notes on Usage / Limitations: Designed for seamless helium-to-hydrogen use. The Pegasus BTX series maintains trace-level sensitivity with either helium or hydrogen carrier gas, a rare capability in GC–MS. No hardware changes needed beyond standard setup.&nbsp;</li><li>App Note: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/PEGBTX_GINGER_OIL_HYDROGEN_CARRIER_GAS_203_821_694_1685d36546.pdf">“Ginger Oil Analysis and Grade Differentiation with Pegasus BTX Using Hydrogen Carrier Gas”</a></li></ul><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_LECO_PEGASUS_BTX_GC_TOFMS_cover_image_34704e689d.jpg" alt="LECO: Pegasus BTX" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_LECO_LECO_PEGASUS_BTX_GC_TOFMS_cover_image_34704e689d.jpg 235w," sizes="100vw" width="416" height="276"><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/38">Pegasus&nbsp;HRT</a>&nbsp;(High-Resolution TOF-MS,<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/39"> incl. 4D</a>)</h4><ul><li>Supported Carrier Gases: Helium or Hydrogen</li><li>Notes on Usage / Limitations: High-resolution GC–TOFMS systems support H₂ as a carrier gas as well as He.&nbsp;Note:&nbsp;Strict safety protocols apply due to&nbsp;hydrogen’s&nbsp;flammability. Hydrogen use is not recommended in instruments/configurations where gas could accumulate (e.g.&nbsp;very long, vertical&nbsp;flight tubes), but LECO’s HRT instruments&nbsp;utilize&nbsp;Folded Flight Path technology, which&nbsp;eliminates&nbsp;this concern.&nbsp;</li><li>App Note: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/GC_MS_Analysis_Hydrogen_Carrier_Gas_MMS_Ion_Source_HRT_G_Cx_GC_TOFMS_SA_ASMS_23_LPSS_310_6247a1baaf/GC-MS_Analysis_Hydrogen_Carrier_Gas_MMS_Ion_Source_HRT-GCxGC-TOFMS_SA_ASMS23_LPSS-310.pdf">“GC–MS Analysis with Hydrogen Carrier Gas on GC×GC-HRTOFMS (MMS Ion Source)”</a></li></ul><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_Pegasus_GC_HRT_831fcb6d1e.jpg" alt="LECO: Pegasus&nbsp;HRT" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_LECO_Pegasus_GC_HRT_831fcb6d1e.jpg 226w," sizes="100vw" width="3600" height="2487"><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1884">LECO 828 Series</a> (Nitrogen/Protein/Carbon/Hydrogen)</h4><ul><li>Supported Carrier Gases: Helium or Argon&nbsp;</li><li>Notes on Usage / Limitations: The LECO 828 Series&nbsp;supports&nbsp;argon as an alternative&nbsp;carrier gas&nbsp;to helium. Helium provides higher TCD sensitivity (important for low-N samples),&nbsp;whereas&nbsp;argon operation raises the nitrogen detection limit and slightly reduces low-range precision. Switching gas type simply requires updating the method and flow settings (no hardware change&nbsp;required).</li><li>App Note: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.leco.com/documents/203-821-665/?_gl=1*1d6stb6*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTMwMjg4MTUxNC4xNzc2MTAzOTU0*_ga_K8NYKVEKHY*czE3NzYxMDM5NTQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzYxMDM5NTQkajYwJGwwJGg0NTY2NjUwNjk.*_ga_KRDSR1XM7X*czE3NzYxMDM5NTQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzYxMDM5NTQkajYwJGwwJGgw">“Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen in Biomass using CHN828”</a>&nbsp;</li></ul><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_rada_828_Makroanalyza_spalovanim_pro_analyzator_uhliku_vodiku_dusiku_a_bilkovin_e86acd897e.jpg" alt="LECO 828 Series" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_LECO_rada_828_Makroanalyza_spalovanim_pro_analyzator_uhliku_vodiku_dusiku_a_bilkovin_e86acd897e.jpg 137w," sizes="100vw" width="454" height="516"><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1885">LECO 928 Series</a> (Nitrogen/Protein/Carbon/Sulfur)</h4><ul><li>Supported Carrier Gases: Helium or Argon&nbsp;</li><li>Notes on Usage / Limitations: The LECO&nbsp;928 Series&nbsp;also&nbsp;supports&nbsp;argon carrier gas as an alternative to helium. Helium use gives the best sensitivity and lowest detection limits for nitrogen, while argon use increases analysis time slightly and raises the nitrogen detection limit (due to the smaller thermal conductivity difference). The 928-series instruments have built-in&nbsp;settings for either gas; when switching, users adjust flow&nbsp;and select&nbsp;the appropriate carrier gas&nbsp;in the system settings. Users also have the option to select&nbsp;a larger aliquot loop&nbsp;in the analysis method&nbsp;to improve&nbsp;precision.&nbsp;</li><li>App Note: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/CN_928_CN_CARBON_BLACK_GRAPHITE_203_821_684_c2224fa8be.pdf">“Determination of Carbon and Nitrogen in Carbon Black and Graphite”</a></li></ul><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_rada_928_Stanoveni_makrohodnot_pomoci_spalovani_3_74de99f8e5.jpg" alt="LECO 928 Series" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_LECO_rada_928_Stanoveni_makrohodnot_pomoci_spalovani_3_74de99f8e5.jpg 216w," sizes="100vw" width="711" height="513"><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1880">736</a>/<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1882">836</a> Series&nbsp;(Inert Gas Fusion O2/N2&nbsp;/H2&nbsp;&nbsp;analyzers)</h4><ul><li>Supported Carrier Gases: Helium or Argon&nbsp;</li><li>Notes on Usage / Limitations: LECO’s inert gas fusion analyzers for oxygen and nitrogen in inorganic materials (e.g.&nbsp;models ON736, ON836) traditionally use helium as the carrier for the TCD measuring N2. These systems can run on argon as well, provided the appropriate He/Ar&nbsp;dual-purpose TCD is installed. Switching from He to&nbsp;Ar&nbsp;in these instruments is a one-time setup change;&nbsp;both gases are supported in the software (selectable “Gas Type” setting).&nbsp;When using argon, the furnace runs hotter&nbsp;and produces more soot, so maintenance (filter changes, cleaning)&nbsp;becomes more frequent.&nbsp;Low-level nitrogen precision is also slightly&nbsp;lessened&nbsp;with argon.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>App Note: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/ONH_836_O_N_H_IRON_STEEL_NICKEL_COBALT_ALLOYS_COMPARISON_203_821_601_3c9836f4b4.pdf">“Determination of Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen in Iron, Steel, Nickel-base, and Cobalt-base Alloys: Comparison of Analytical Performance Between Argon and Helium Carrier”&nbsp;</a></li></ul><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_rada_736_Analyza_kysliku_a_dusiku_roztavenim_vzorku_v_inertnim_plynu_3_0ec033bbbb.jpg" alt="LECO 736 Series" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_LECO_rada_736_Analyza_kysliku_a_dusiku_roztavenim_vzorku_v_inertnim_plynu_3_0ec033bbbb.jpg 151w," sizes="100vw" width="825" height="852"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_rada_836_Analyza_prvku_pro_detekci_kysliku_dusiku_a_vodiku_5_8011397ce6.jpg" alt="LECO 836 Series" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_LECO_rada_836_Analyza_prvku_pro_detekci_kysliku_dusiku_a_vodiku_5_8011397ce6.jpg 134w," sizes="100vw" width="657" height="764"><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/products/1850">DH603&nbsp;Hydrogen Determinator</a></h4><ul><li>Supported Carrier Gases: Nitrogen (carrier), Helium (calibration gas)&nbsp;</li><li>Notes on Usage / Limitations: The DH603 measures diffusible and residual hydrogen in metals by hot extraction. It does&nbsp;not use helium as a carrier&nbsp;during analysis—instead&nbsp;it uses nitrogen as the purge/carrier gas in the TCD system. A small helium dose is used only for calibration and system checks (to introduce a known H2&nbsp;quantity via He-H2&nbsp;mix). In routine operation, the furnace is purged with N2&nbsp;and any hydrogen released from the sample is carried to a TCD that&nbsp;references against&nbsp;the nitrogen background. This design avoids flammable gas in the instrument entirely.&nbsp;</li><li>App Note: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://icpms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/DH_603_H_STEEL_SAMPLES_203_821_376_68e63cfea2.pdf">“Hydrogen Determination in Steel Samples Using DH603”&nbsp;</a></li></ul><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_DH_603_Stanoveni_zbytkoveho_a_difuzniho_vodiku_horkou_extrakci_d968c7c42b.jpg" alt="LECO: DH603&nbsp;Hydrogen Determinator" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_LECO_DH_603_Stanoveni_zbytkoveho_a_difuzniho_vodiku_horkou_extrakci_d968c7c42b.jpg 237w," sizes="100vw" width="1325" height="875">

As Helium Prices Rise and Supply Shrinks, LECO Customers Have Reliable Alternatives

<div><section><div><div><div><div><div><div>This study examines the impact of iron deficiency on body composition and metabolism in women with obesity. Iron-deficient individuals exhibited higher fat mass, elevated circulating fatty acids, and a reduced muscle-to-fat ratio prior to bariatric surgery.One year post-surgery, the iron-deficient group showed lower skeletal muscle mass and continued unfavorable body composition, alongside reduced amino acid levels. These findings suggest that iron deficiency exacerbates metabolic dysfunction and negatively affects obesity-related outcomes.</div></div></div></div><blockquote><h4>The original article</h4><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006">Iron Deficiency Is Associated with Increased Circulating Fatty Acids and Unfavorable Body Composition in Women with Obesity</a></h4>Jessica Monteiro Volejnik Pino, Ana Paula de Oliveira Ferreira, Raquel da Silveira Campos, Marcos Mônico-Neto, Vitória Fernandes da Silva, Melissa Yumi Kato, Gabriel Trigo Pereira, Isabella Mendes Borghetti, Thais Regiani Cataldi, Thales Delmondes Galvão, Lia Rita Azeredo Bittencourt, Sergio Tufik, and Kil Sun Lee*ACS Nutr. Sci. 2026, 1, 1, 28–35<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006">https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006</a><h6>licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC-BY 4.0</a></h6></blockquote>Selected sections from the article follow. Formats and hyperlinks were adapted from the original.<div>Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies. Although children and women in reproductive phase are the most well-known demographic groups affected by iron deficiency, increased prevalence of iron deficiency in the population with obesity has also been reported. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(1−3)</a> The cause of iron deficiency in obesity appears to involve both insufficient dietary iron intake and poor dietary quality and the secondary effects of hormonal and metabolic changes that occur in obesity. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(4−6)</a>Iron plays essential roles in several vital functions, such as oxygen transport, cellular respiration, and energy production. Thus, inadequate intake of the micronutrient or problems in its homeostasis for a prolonged period can impair several physiological functions. In fact, changes in systemic iron homeostasis are known to affect the endocrine functions, <a href="javascript:void(0);">(7)</a> including the secretion of adipokines. In humans, for instance, serum ferritin has been reported to be negatively correlated with serum adiponectin levels. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(8−10)</a> Bioavailability of iron is also important for cardiac and renal function <a href="javascript:void(0);">(11)</a> and glycemic control, <a href="javascript:void(0);">(12)</a> and iron deficiency is known to be related to the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(2,13)</a> Moreover, hepatic iron plays a key role in the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids. Elevated hepatic iron levels enhance the expression of several enzymes in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, such as HMG-CoA reductase, leading to increased hepatic cholesterol content. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(14)</a> A transcriptomic study further demonstrated a significant upregulation of genes involved in cholesterol synthesis in response to high iron intake, highlighting the importance of iron in this metabolic process. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(15)</a>Considering the importance of iron in cardiac function and metabolic homeostasis, the most affected physiological functions in obesity, it is plausible to hypothesize that iron deficiency could worsen the clinical prognosis of obesity. Indeed, our previous study demonstrated that women with grade III obesity had lower iron levels compared to those with grade I or II obesity. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(16)</a>Despite the potential negative impact of iron deficiency on metabolism and its consequences for noncommunicable chronic diseases such as obesity, few studies have examined the metabolic profile of individuals with both iron deficiency and obesity. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the impact of iron deficiency on the profile of circulating metabolites in women with obesity. We also evaluated how an iron deficiency influences the response to bariatric surgery, a procedure increasingly used to treat obesity.</div><div><h4>2. Materials and Methods</h4><h5>2.5. Analysis of Plasma Metabolic Profile by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)</h5>Derivatized samples (1 μL of each) were injected in splitless mode into a gas chromatograph (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/library?mainauthorItems=10&amp;search=8890">8890GC Agilent Technologies</a>, Santa Clara, CA, USA) equipped with a capillary column of fused silica, measuring 20 m in length, 0.18 mm of internal diameter and 0.18 μm of film thickness (Agilent J&amp;W Scientific, Santa Clara, CA, USA). The initial temperature of the column was 80 °C, which was maintained for 2 min and then increased by 15 °C/min up to 305 °C. The injection started 300 s after initiating data acquisition at a temperature of 280 °C, with a flow of 20 mL/min. The column effluent was introduced into the ion source of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/36">mass spectrometer TOFMS (Pegasus BT</a>, Leco, St. Joseph, MI, USA). The temperature of the ion source was 250 °C, the electron beam was 70 eV, and the ionization current was 2.0 mA. The detector voltage was fixed at 1500 V, and 20 spectra/s were acquired in the range of 45–800 m/z. Three sets of alkanes (C12–C28) were run at the beginning, middle, and end of the samples to test the performance of the GC-MS and calculate the retention index. The coefficient of variation of the retention time, retention index, and peak intensity is shown in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006/suppl_file/ns5c00006_si_001.pdf">Supporting Information, Table 1</a>.</div></div></div></section></div><h5>2.6. GC/MS Data Processing</h5>GC/MS data were processed using the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/41">ChromaTOF</a> for BT, v 1.2.0.6, in which baseline correction, deconvolution, retention-time correction, and retention-index calculation were carried out. The alignment of peaks and identification of metabolites were performed using the NIST library, version 2.4 (2020). Only those features with a total ion count above 250 that presented at least three matching peaks and a score equal to or higher than 800 were considered as valid metabolites. In addition, only metabolites that were consistently detected in at least 5 of 7 samples of at least one group were included in the further data analysis (Supporting Information, Figure 1A,B). Supporting Information, Figure 1C and D show, respectively, the number of metabolites that were not detected in each sample and the total peak intensity of each sample. The peak intensity of each metabolite was normalized to a total peak intensity. Due to a technical issue during the GC/MS run, one sample from the postoperative iron-sufficient group (IS) was excluded from the metabolomic analysis. Thus, the final analysis included 7 participants in the iron-deficient (ID) group and 6 in the postoperative IS group.<h4>3. Results</h4>First, the effect of iron deficiency was evaluated in preoperative samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) was able to cluster and distinguish the ID group from the IS group (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006#fig2">Figure 2</a>A). Principal component 1 (PC1) and principal component 2 (PC2) together were responsible for a 47.8% variation of the metabolomic profile. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006#fig2">Figure 2</a>B and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006/suppl_file/ns5c00006_si_001.pdf">Supplementary Table 5</a> show the metabolites that were increased or decreased in the ID group compared to the IS group in presurgical condition. Amino acids and related metabolites showed random behavior, with some increasing and others decreasing in the ID group compared to the IS group. However, all fatty acids or their conjugation had increased abundance in the ID group, while propanedioic acid, a precursor for fatty acid synthesis, also known as malonic acid, had a lower abundance in the ID group (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006#fig2">Figure 2</a>B, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006/suppl_file/ns5c00006_si_001.pdf">Supplementary Table 5</a>). Since the plasma samples were collected in the fasting state, increased circulating fatty acids may indicate a higher rate of lipolysis in the ID group.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/ACS_Nutr_Sci_2026_1_1_28_35_Figure_2_Metabolomic_differences_between_preoperative_iron_sufficient_and_iron_deficient_groups_d8dc1d7bc1.jpg" alt="ACS Nutr. Sci. 2026, 1, 1, 28–35: Figure 2. Metabolomic differences between preoperative iron sufficient and iron deficient groups. (A) After principal component analysis, a scatter plot was constructed using principal components (PC) 1 and 2, which respectively explained 31.8% and 16% of the variation of the metabolomic data. Red dots represent women in the iron sufficient group (IS) and green dots represent women in the iron deficient group (ID) at the presurgery moment. Ellipses indicate a confidence interval of 95%. (B) Volcano plot shows log 2 of the fold change calculated as a ratio of ID/IS in x-axis and −log 10 of p-values in the y-axis. Blue dots indicate metabolites with a lower abundance and red dots represent metabolites with an increased abundance in the ID (n = 7) group compared to the IS (n = 7) group." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_ACS_Nutr_Sci_2026_1_1_28_35_Figure_2_Metabolomic_differences_between_preoperative_iron_sufficient_and_iron_deficient_groups_d8dc1d7bc1.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="2014" height="760">In the fasting state, adipose tissues are the main source of circulating fatty acids. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between body fat mass and total circulating fatty acid levels calculated by summing the relative abundance of all free and conjugated fatty acids detected in GC/MS. Total fatty acid levels showed a weak positive, nonsignificant, correlation with body fat (rho = 0.28, p = 0.3 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006#fig3">Figure 3</a>A) and a negative correlation with serum iron, but not with serum ferritin (rho = −0.57, p = 0.04 and rho = −0.46, p = 0.10, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006#fig3">Figure 3</a>B,C). Additionally, body fat mass was negatively correlated with serum ferritin, but not with serum iron (rho = −0.48, p = 0.08 and rho = 0.62, p = 0.08; <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006#fig3">Figure 3</a>D,E). These data suggest that ID in obesity is associated with an increase in circulating fatty acids during fasting. Moreover, systemic iron deficiency reduced iron availability in adipose tissue (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006/suppl_file/ns5c00006_si_001.pdf">Supplementary Figure 3</a>), which may contribute to altered lipid mobilization under fasting conditions.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/ACS_Nutr_Sci_2026_1_1_28_35_Figure_3_Relationship_between_circulating_fatty_acids_body_fat_mass_and_iron_status_in_presurgery_moment_3d983519ba.jpg" alt="ACS Nutr. Sci. 2026, 1, 1, 28–35: Figure 3. Relationship between circulating fatty acids, body fat mass and iron status in presurgery moment. Pearson correlation analysis was performed using presurgery data of total circulating fatty acids with body fat mass (A), serum iron (B), or serum ferritin (C). Correlation between body fat mass and serum iron (D) or serum ferritin (E) was also evaluated. Brown dots represent samples of the ID group (n = 7) and blue dots represent samples of the IS group (n = 7). Solid line shows linear relationship and dotted line represent 95% confidence interval." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_ACS_Nutr_Sci_2026_1_1_28_35_Figure_3_Relationship_between_circulating_fatty_acids_body_fat_mass_and_iron_status_in_presurgery_moment_3d983519ba.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1857" height="1009"><h4>4. Discussion</h4>Iron deficiency is a frequent comorbidity of obesity and may arise due to several interconnected factors, such as chronic low-grade inflammation, which increases hepatic hepcidin production and reduces intestinal iron absorption. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(19)</a> Inadequate diets, with low iron intake and poor nutritional quality, which also contribute to aggravating this condition, in addition to the secondary effects of hormonal and metabolic changes associated with obesity. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(4−6)</a> In this study, we showed that women with obesity and concomitant ID accumulate more body fat and circulating fatty acids compared with those with normal iron status.The accumulation of fatty acids under iron-deficient conditions is a biochemically expected consequence, as the catabolism of fatty acids depends on the mitochondrial electron transport chain, which requires iron as a cofactor. However, the fact that elevated levels of circulating fatty acids can exacerbate obesity-related pathological symptoms is not typically considered in clinical management and treatment strategies. One reason this marker is rarely used in clinical practice is the lack of standardization in measurement, and absence of well-established reference ranges. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(20)</a>Previous studies corroborate our findings that iron deficiency is associated with significant changes in lipid metabolism. In animal models, iron deficiency led to increased levels of fatty acids in the liver and serum, especially linoleic acid. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(21)</a> On the other hand, another study demonstrated that high levels of ferritin are associated with greater mobilization of fatty acids and insulin resistance in obese women, increasing the systemic availability of fatty acids. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(22)</a> Thus, both iron deficiency and excess can deregulate lipid metabolism. In this context, the increase in circulating fatty acids can accumulate in insulin-sensitive organs, such as the liver and muscles, impairing insulin signaling and increasing the risk of insulin resistance. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(23,24)</a> Therefore, assessing and controlling iron levels in obesity can help minimize related complications.Regarding the effect of preoperative iron deficiency on the outcome of bariatric surgery, both the IS and ID groups showed weight loss one year after surgery. However, the ID group presented a lower percentage of skeletal muscle mass (PSMM) and muscle-to-fat ratio (MFR) compared to the IS group. These findings are consistent with the literature, which points to a relationship between iron deficiency and lower muscle mass. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(25)</a> Moreover, in this study, significant reduction of leucine and valine was observed only in the ID group, although the levels of these amino acids were not significantly different between the ID and IS groups in postsurgical condition. Nevertheless, we have not assessed iron status in postsurgical samples, but it is known that bariatric surgery itself increases risks for micronutrient deficiency. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(19,26,27)</a> Even though all participants received postoperative nutritional supplementation to prevent such deficiencies, including iron, it is difficult to distinguish presurgical ID effects on postsurgical measures.The literature data are somewhat contradictory with regard to the effect of branched chain amino acids (BCAA). In general, it appears that increased BCAA is harmful in unhealthy conditions such as diabetes and obesity. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(28)</a> Specially, valine metabolite, 3-hydroxyisobutyric acid, is known to cause glucotoxicity and impairment of insulin signaling in muscle of mice fed with high fat diet. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(29)</a> Interestingly, the ketogenic metabolite of BCAA, 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutyric acid, was increased in the ID group compared to the IS group in presurgical conditions (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/acsnutrsci.5c00006/suppl_file/ns5c00006_si_001.pdf">Supplementary Table 5</a>). On the other hand, in healthy conditions, higher levels of BCAA can prevent sarcopenia. <a href="javascript:void(0);">(30,31)</a> Indeed, we observed moderate correlation between postsurgical skeletal muscle mass and leucine levels. Significant reduction in valine and leucine observed after surgery in the ID group might have contributed to the lower postsurgical SMM percentage and muscle-to-fat ratio in that group.A limitation of our study is the small sample size. However, due to the lack of a gold standard for diagnosis of ID in obesity, the sample was selected based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Our results demonstrate that preoperative iron deficiency is associated with changes in body composition and lipid metabolism, which may aggravate conditions related to obesity. To our knowledge, while previous studies have described the association between obesity and iron deficiency and the impact of bariatric surgery on iron status, <a href="javascript:void(0);">(19)</a> there is limited evidence on the effects of iron deficiency both before and after surgery. Our findings provide novel insights and reinforce that proper diagnosis and management of ID in this population may improve overall health and the effectiveness of weight loss strategies.

Iron Deficiency Is Associated with Increased Circulating Fatty Acids and Unfavorable Body Composition in Women with Obesity

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The Multidimensional Chromatography (MDC) Workshop draws experts in this exciting field to share and discuss their research.

The Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop

Everything from the world of analytical chemistry in one place. We connect people in solving their problems. At Labrulez you will find all the necessary information easily, quickly and clearly. Stop searching and start finding.

LabRulez

Organomation, founded in 1959, designs and manufactures high-quality nitrogen evaporators and extraction systems. Known for innovation and durability, their lab instruments are used globally for efficient sample preparation with strong customer support.

Organomation

In 1936, the Laboratory Equipment Company introduced the first rapid carbon determinator for the American iron and steel industry.  Today, almost 80 years later, LECO is recognized globally as a leader in the development of high-quality analytical instrumentation, mass spectrometers, comprehensive two-dimensional chromatography, metallography & optical equipment as well as consumables.

Iron Deficiency Is Associated with Increased Circulating Fatty Acids and Unfavorable Body Composition in Women with Obesity

As Helium Prices Rise and Supply Shrinks, LECO Customers Have Reliable Alternatives

Enhancing Forensic Fingerprint Analysis: How the MICROVAP Sample Concentrator Aids Solvent Removal

Sex and person identity recognition from GC×GC analysis of scent samples (Jan Hlavsa, MDCW 2025)

LECO Launches New Laboratory in Partnership with California State University, Los Angeles

Upcoming events

Agilent GC/Q-TOF User Meeting

LECO Training Course Pegasus HRT+ / HRT+ 4D

Restek at EPRW 2026

Webinars

Advanced Analytical Solutions for Oil & Gas

Direct In-Line Fuel & Lubricant Quality Monitoring with Process Raman

How Transformative New Software Solutions Are Elevating Quality and Compliance