<h3><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.isc2026.org/"><strong>ISC 2026</strong></a></h3><p><strong>The </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/companies/314"><strong>International Symposium on Chromatography (ISC)</strong></a><strong> represents the oldest conference series on separation science. ISC symposia have been organised since 1956 in each even year. ISC is one of the premier meetings series for discussion of all modes of chromatography and separation science with a broad coverage of techniques and applications.</strong></p><p>The major focus of the symposium will be on the impact of chromatography and separation science to meet the needs of the pharmaceutical, environmental, food and health industry, as well as science and medicine. The symposium programme will reflect these themes and highlight new challenges and emerging opportunities for the science and marketing of separation and detection systems and methods.</p><p>As an integral part of the scientific programme of lectures and poster sessions, an international exhibition and vendor seminars on instrumentation and services for chromatography, separation science and mass spectrometry will be organised. ISC 2026 will provide the perfect forum for attendees from academia, industry and government research institutions for scientific exchange and networking.</p><h3><strong>ISC 2026 SYMPOSIUM KEY DATES</strong></h3><h4><strong>6-10 SEPTEMBER 2026</strong></h4><ul><li><strong>15 January 2026:</strong> Opening of Early-bird Registration &amp; Abstract submission</li><li><strong>11 March 2026: </strong>Deadline for abstract submission (orals)</li><li><strong>21 April 2026: </strong>Sending acceptance letters (orals)</li><li><strong>15 May 2026: </strong>Deadline of early-bird registration and payment &amp; Author registration deadline (orals)</li><li><strong>1 June 2026: </strong>Preliminary detailed program on web</li><li><strong>1 June 2026: </strong>Deadline for abstract submission (posters)</li><li><strong>16 June 2026: </strong>Sending acceptance letters (posters)<ul><li>Authors who submit their abstracts with a poster preference by 5 May 2026 will be notified of the outcome by 12 May 2026 and will have the opportunity to register at the early-bird rate until 15 May 2026.</li></ul></li><li><strong>30 June 2026:</strong> Author registration deadline (posters)</li><li><strong>30 July 2026:</strong> Deadline for abstract submission (late-breaking posters)<ul><li>without the possibility of competing for the Best Poster Award</li></ul></li><li><strong>11 August 2026: </strong>Sending acceptance letters (late-breaking posters)</li><li><strong>18 August 2026:</strong> Author registration deadline (late-breaking posters)</li><li><strong>25 August 2026: </strong>Deadline for late registration &amp; payment&nbsp;</li><li><strong>6-10 September 2026: </strong>Symposium</li></ul><h3><strong>REGISTRATION</strong></h3><blockquote><p class="cke-user_style-important"><strong>👉</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.czech-in.org/cmPortalV15/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2FcmPortalV15%2FPortal%2FISC26%2Fnormal"><strong>Register HERE for the ISC 2026</strong></a></p></blockquote><h3><strong>ABSTRACT SUBMISSION</strong></h3><blockquote><p class="cke-user_style-important"><strong>👉</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.czech-in.org/cmPortalV15/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2FcmPortalV15%2FPortal%2FISC26%2Fnormal"><strong>Submit your Abstract HERE</strong></a></p></blockquote><h3><strong>SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM</strong></h3><h4><strong>SHORT COURSES</strong></h4><h5><strong>SC 5 Oligonucleotides and Other Biopharmaceuticals</strong></h5><p><strong>🗓️ SUNDAY, 6 SEPTEMBER 2026</strong></p><p><strong>🕗 12:30 – 15:45</strong></p><p><strong>Analysis of nucleic acid and protein-based pharmaceuticals</strong></p><p>The pharmaceutical industry has undergone a profound transformation over the past four decades driven by continuous innovation in therapeutic and prophylactic modalities. While small molecules have been the foundation of medicine for ages, successive waves have introduced biologics such as recombinant proteins and antibodies, in addition to nucleic acid and cell-based products. Each wave has expanded our ability to treat diseases but also challenged us, analytical scientists, to build a toolbox to characterize these ever more complex modalities. This short course will cover chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods for analyzing nucleic acid and protein-based medicines including antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) and larger nucleic acids such as messenger RNA (mRNA), in addition to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and &nbsp;antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs).&nbsp;</p><h4><strong>Lecturers</strong></h4><h5><strong>Koen Sandra</strong></h5><ul><li>Koen Sandra received a PhD degree in Biochemistry from the Ghent University, Belgium in 2005. After his PhD, he joined Pronota, a molecular diagnostics company where he was active in developing analytical platforms for disease biomarker discovery and in setting up external collaborations. In 2008, he joined RIC, a company that provides analytical support to the chemical, life sciences and pharmaceutical industries, where he holds the position of CEO. As a non-academic scientist, Koen Sandra is author of over 50 highly cited scientific papers and has presented his work at numerous conferences as an invited speaker.</li></ul><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/ISC_2026_Koen_Sandra_2ff9f97b34.jpg" alt="ISC 2026: Koen Sandra" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_ISC_2026_Koen_Sandra_2ff9f97b34.jpg 156w," sizes="100vw" width="500" height="500"></p><h5><strong>Amanda Guiraldelli Mahr</strong></h5><ul><li>Amanda Guiraldelli Mahr is a senior scientist at the RIC group in Belgium, specialized in chromatographic and LC-MS strategies for biopharmaceutical and small molecule analysis. With more than 17 years of experience in analytical development, she leads the design and qualification of procedures for release testing, stability studies, and structural characterization of monoclonal antibodies, peptides, and oligonucleotides, with strong expertise in SEC, IEX, RPLC, HILIC, HIC, and high-resolution MS workflows. She drives the implementation of ICH Q2(R2), Q14, and Analytical Quality by Design (AQbD) principles in collaboration with global biopharmaceutical partners. Amanda serves as a member of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Pharmaceutical Analytical Lifecycle and Data Science Expert Committee and is a board member of the ECA Analytical Quality Control Group. Before joining RIC, she spent more than 12 years at USP, where she worked both as a Senior Scientist – leading method development and validation projects, impurity analysis by LC-MS/GC-MS, and reference standards characterization by LC-HRMS – and as a Scientific Affairs Manager, contributing to major standards such as &lt;1220&gt; and &lt;1225&gt; and driving initiatives in AQbD, predictive modeling, and analytical procedure lifecycle management. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy–Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, and has been a visiting scientist at TU Berlin and Leiden University, focusing on LC-HRMS-based protein analysis.</li></ul><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/ISC_2026_Amanda_Guiraldelli_Mahr_0bd046c778.jpg" alt="ISC 2026: Amanda Guiraldelli Mahr" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_ISC_2026_Amanda_Guiraldelli_Mahr_0bd046c778.jpg 156w," sizes="100vw" width="500" height="500"></p>

ISC 2026 Short Course 5 - Oligonucleotides and Other Biopharmaceuticals

<p><strong>🎤 Presenter:</strong> David E. Alonso (LECO Corporation)</p><p>💾 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/O_3_Alonso_6f61e3ea43.pdf"><strong>PDF presentation</strong></a></p><h3><strong>Abstract</strong></h3><p><strong>Enormous quantities of Polyfluoro- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been produced through telomerization and electrochemical fluorination since the late 1940s. PFAS are a group of anthropogenic chemicals produced to improve the physical and chemical characteristics of products such as food packaging, cookware, textiles, paints, flame retardants, and stain-resistant clothing. PFAS increase heat, water, and oil resistance in these consumer products. Humans can be exposed to these harmful substances through ingestion and inhalation. Therefore, it is crucial that researchers screen these toxic chemicals on a regular basis. Unfortunately, monitoring hazardous chemicals such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is challenging due to the complexity of sample matrices. The goal of this study was to develop an analytical methodology for the comprehensive screening of complex samples for volatile and semi-volatile PFAS, as well as additional emerging contaminants.&nbsp;</strong></p><p>The protocol included the application of effective sample introduction techniques, as well as the design of general data acquisition and processing strategies for quick analysis of a wide variety of consumer goods. Different ionization modes: 1) Electron Ionization (EI), 2) Positive Chemical Ionization (PCI), and 3) Negative Chemical Ionization (NCI). The rich <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/library?instrumentationItems=2-13-3&amp;manufacturerItems=25"><strong>GCxGC-HRTOFMS</strong></a> data were used to annotate different classes of PFAS and additional harmful chemicals.</p><h3><strong>Video Transcription</strong></h3><h4><strong>1) Background and objective</strong></h4><p>The presentation focuses on <strong>screening and characterizing PFAS-related compounds (including PFOS/PFAS components and related xenobiotics)</strong> in <strong>consumer products and consumables</strong> using <strong>GC, GC×GC, and high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry</strong>.</p><p>PFAS-type chemicals are widely used in industry and are increasingly recognized as environmentally and health-relevant contaminants. The speaker’s broader work includes screening materials such as <strong>ski wax</strong>, <strong>specialty lubricants</strong>, <strong>dental floss</strong>, <strong>chewing gum</strong>, and <strong>anti-fog solutions</strong>.</p><p>The overall goal is to show:</p><ul><li>why <strong>high-resolution accurate-mass TOF</strong> is powerful for <strong>unknown identification</strong>, and</li><li>how combining <strong>HRTOF-MS + GC×GC + advanced software tools</strong> enables <strong>fast, confident screening</strong> in complex matrices.</li></ul><h4><strong>2) Instrumentation and sample preparation approach</strong></h4><h5><strong>Instruments used</strong></h5><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/1097"><strong>LECO Pegasus BTX</strong></a> (initial experiments)</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/39"><strong>LECO Pegasus HRT</strong></a> (high-resolution TOF for accurate mass and improved confidence)</li></ul><h5><strong>Sample preparation philosophy</strong></h5><p>The speaker emphasizes <strong>minimal sample manipulation</strong>, using:</p><ul><li><strong>“Dilute and shoot”</strong> for liquid samples</li><li><strong>Thermal desorption</strong>, followed by <strong>pyrolysis</strong> (in separate steps) for solid/complex materials</li></ul><h4><strong>3) Case study A: Anti-fog solutions (PFAS concerns and unknowns)</strong></h4><h5><strong>Motivation</strong></h5><p>Anti-fog products are commonly used (lab work, sports such as hockey/skiing). Prior reports suggested some anti-fog solutions may contain <strong>PFAS-related components</strong>.</p><h5><strong>Initial GC-MS results (BTX)</strong></h5><p>A simple chromatogram can appear “clean,” but deeper evaluation shows:</p><ul><li>multiple organic classes (e.g., alkanes/alkenes)</li><li>a set of <strong>unknown major components</strong>, which became the key focus</li><li>limited library coverage for PFAS at the time (NIST version constraints were mentioned)</li></ul><p>The speaker identified a handful of compounds through automated processing, but many peaks remained <strong>unidentified</strong> (not found in NIST/Wiley/ChemSpider).</p><h5><strong>Why high resolution was needed</strong></h5><p>One compound of interest (“X”) produced:</p><ul><li>poor library match quality (“ridiculous” similarity score)</li><li>insufficient spectral clarity for confident identification</li></ul><h5><strong>HRTOF-MS advantages highlighted</strong></h5><p>With HRTOF-MS the speaker gains:</p><ul><li><strong>accurate mass</strong> (high precision mass values)</li><li>ability to compute <strong>elemental formulas</strong> for ions/fragments</li><li><strong>RDBE / ring double bond equivalence</strong> to support structural reasoning</li><li>multiple ionization modes:<ul><li><strong>EI</strong> (electron ionization)</li><li><strong>CI</strong> (chemical ionization), <strong>positive and negative</strong></li></ul></li></ul><h5><strong>Key step: Switching to CI for molecular ion information</strong></h5><p>The speaker notes EI spectra may be “skinny” (limited informative ions), while <strong>CI</strong> can provide:</p><ul><li>a strong <strong>protonated molecular ion</strong> with excellent mass accuracy</li><li>useful methane-CI adduct patterns (e.g., <strong>M+29</strong>, <strong>M+41</strong>)</li><li><strong>isotopic fidelity scoring</strong> (confidence metric; values above a high threshold indicate strong agreement between theoretical and observed isotope patterns)</li></ul><h5><strong>External database search to propose structure</strong></h5><p>Even with formula confidence, structure identification required:</p><ul><li>literature context (a specific paper was used as a clue)</li><li>searching the <strong>EPA CompTox</strong> library</li><li>narrowing to a small set of candidate structures</li><li>combining evidence from formula + fragmentation patterns (including signs of <strong>glycol-like</strong> substructures such as repeated <strong>CH₂CH₂O</strong> motifs)</li></ul><h5><strong>Extending logic to other unknowns</strong></h5><p>Once compound “X” was tentatively assigned, related unknowns (e.g., peaks 6–14) could be approached systematically by:</p><ul><li>analyzing recurring fragment motifs</li><li>applying complementary CI data</li><li>assigning consistent series behavior</li></ul><p>The speaker reports annotating the unknown series as <strong>polyfluorinated ethoxylate-type compounds</strong>, based on combined evidence and pattern relationships.</p><h4><strong>4) Case study B: Chewing gum (extreme matrix complexity and false positives)</strong></h4><h5><strong>Why chewing gum?</strong></h5><p>Chewing gum was unexpectedly complex and served as a strong example of:</p><ul><li>heavy thermal degradation (especially for sugar-containing gums)</li><li>a wide concentration dynamic range</li><li>analytes of interest present at <strong>very low levels</strong>, making screening difficult</li></ul><h5><strong>A key lesson: Library matches can mislead</strong></h5><p>The speaker reports seeing apparent PFAS hits with decent match scores (around the “confidence” range many users might accept), but calls them <strong>false positives</strong> due to:</p><ul><li>“skinny” spectra lacking molecular ion evidence</li><li>insufficient confirmation without accurate-mass + ionization support and advanced screening logic</li></ul><h4><strong>5) The “ultimate” workflow: HRTOF-MS + GC×GC + software-driven screening</strong></h4><p>The speaker describes the strongest approach as a combination of:</p><ul><li><strong>GC×GC</strong> (better separation and pattern recognition in complex mixtures)</li><li><strong>HR accurate mass</strong> (formula-level confidence)</li><li><strong>software tools</strong> that enable fast triage without manual peak-table review</li></ul><h4><strong>Screening strategy (needle-in-a-haystack)</strong></h4><p>Instead of relying purely on automated peak finding (often unreliable for trace levels), the speaker uses a multi-step spectral approach:</p><ol><li><strong>Sum ions</strong> across the GC×GC contour plot to capture the full complexity</li><li>Build a <strong>mass defect plot</strong>:<ul><li>y-axis: mass defect</li><li>x-axis: accurate mass</li></ul></li><li>Target entire <strong>PFAS fragment series</strong> at once:<ul><li>uses known spacing (e.g., <strong>CF₂ repeat patterns</strong> with consistent mass spacing)</li><li>targets both “tail” fragments and “head” fragments (e.g., acrylate-related head groups)</li></ul></li><li>Use specialized visualization (e.g., <strong>scaled mass defect plots</strong>) to make the PFAS-related ion series appear clearly aligned and easy to spot</li></ol><p>After locating candidate signals, the workflow moves to <strong>confirmation</strong>.</p><h4><strong>6) Confirmation logic: EI + CI (positive and negative) in “discovery mode”</strong></h4><p>The speaker’s standard operational mode is:</p><ul><li>acquire <strong>EI</strong>, then automatically acquire <strong>CI positive and CI negative</strong></li><li>if EI lacks a molecular ion, CI often provides:<ul><li><strong>protonated molecular ion</strong></li><li>isotope-pattern confirmation via <strong>isotopic fidelity</strong></li><li>accurate-mass formula confirmation</li></ul></li></ul><p>If needed, final confirmation can be achieved by:</p><ul><li>purchasing and running a <strong>reference standard</strong>, when available</li></ul><h4><strong>7) Results from chewing gum screening</strong></h4><p>Using the described approach, the speaker reports:</p><ul><li>identifying many gum constituents (sweeteners, flavor compounds such as terpenes in spearmint gum, softeners like glycerol and glycerides, and lipid-related compounds)</li><li>probing the gum base by increasing thermal conditions (e.g., higher temperatures revealing polymer degradation products)</li><li>evidence consistent with gum-base polymer components (example given: degradation products associated with <strong>polyisobutylene</strong>, such as isobutene and oligomers)</li></ul><h5><strong>PFAS conclusion for gum samples</strong></h5><p>For the gum samples tested (including gum, wrapper, and box):</p><ul><li><strong>PFAS-related compounds were not detected</strong> (good news)</li></ul><h4><strong>8) Take-home messages</strong></h4><ul><li><strong>HRTOF-MS is essential for unknown characterization</strong>, especially when libraries are incomplete.</li><li><strong>EI alone can be misleading</strong>, particularly for trace components and when spectra are information-poor (“skinny”).</li><li><strong>CI (positive/negative) adds decisive molecular-ion and formula confidence</strong>.</li><li><strong>GC×GC + HR accurate mass + mass defect workflows</strong> enable rapid screening for PFAS (and other POPs) without manually grinding through peak tables.</li><li>The workflow is broadly applicable for screening <strong>PFAS</strong> and other trace pollutant classes such as <strong>PCBs and persistent organic pollutants</strong>.</li></ul><blockquote><p><strong>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.</strong></p></blockquote>

Exploring PFAS in consumer goods using GCxGC-high-resolution mass spectrometry (David Alonso, MDCW 2026)

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The International Symposium on Chromatography (ISC) represents the oldest conference series focussing on separation science. ISC symposia have been organised since 1956 in each even year. ISC is internationally recognised as one of the premier meeting series for discussion of all modes of chromatography and separation science with a broad coverage of techniques and applications.

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News from LabRulezGCMS Library - Week 09, 2026

Exploring PFAS in consumer goods using GCxGC-high-resolution mass spectrometry (David Alonso, MDCW 2026)

ISC 2026 Short Course 5 - Oligonucleotides and Other Biopharmaceuticals