15th International Symposium on Hyphenated Techniques in Chromatography and Separation Technology

HTC-15 Conference (Cardiff, January 2018) — Summary

Importance of the topic

The HTC (Hyphenated Techniques in Chromatography and Separation Technology) symposium is a focal meeting for advances in coupling separation methods with orthogonal detection and data-analysis tools. Hyphenated techniques (LC–MS, GC–MS, GC×GC, LC×LC, SFC–MS, IM–MS, thermal analysis–MS and related interfaces) enable higher chemical resolution, improved sensitivity, and richer structural information for complex matrices encountered in pharmaceuticals, biopharma, food, environmental monitoring, petrochemicals and forensics. Innovations in instrumentation, multidimensional separations and data science directly impact method robustness, throughput and regulatory-compliant quantitation in industrial and research laboratories.

Goals and overview of the meeting

The HTC-15 meeting (Cardiff, 24–26 January 2018, preceded by short courses) aimed to present recent developments across hyphenated separation science, promote cross-disciplinary exchange and highlight industrial applicability. Key objectives were to: share state-of-the-art instrumental innovations; showcase advances in multidimensional chromatographic techniques and ionisation/interface technologies; present computational and chemometrics strategies for large chromatographic datasets; and support early career scientists. The programme combined plenary and keynote lectures, oral and poster presentations, tutorials, workshops, vendor seminars and short courses addressing SFC, big-data analytics, biopharmaceutical analysis, ion-mobility, GC×GC, LC×LC, and automation.

Methodology and scientific content presented

Major thematic areas covered at HTC-15 included:

• Multidimensional separations: developments in LC×LC and GC×GC, flow-modulation approaches and temperature- or solvent-responsive column concepts for enhanced peak capacity and selectivity.
• Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC): both theory-to-practice short courses and applications showing SFC–MS for chiral/achiral separations and high-throughput workflows, with emphasis on green solvent advantages.
• Hyphenation strategies: robust interfacing of separations to high-resolution mass spectrometry, tandem MS, ion mobility and thermal analysis for broad sample classes.
• Ion mobility and gas-phase separation: presentations on cyclic ion mobility systems, FAIMS and their applications for peptide/protein and structural analyses.
• Big data, chemometrics and method development: Bayesian statistics, machine learning, fingerprinting, curve resolution techniques, PARAFAC/PARAFAC2 and data-independent acquisition strategies for handling complex chromatographic and MS datasets.
• Automation and sample preparation: advances in inline sample handling, microfluidics, high-capacity sorptive extraction and robotic platforms to increase throughput and reproducibility.
• Targeted applications: clinical lipidomics, metabolomics, environmental suspect screening, food and flavour analysis, petroleum/petrochemical fingerprinting and biopharmaceutical characterisation (including SEC–MS and other orthogonal size/charge/hydrophobicity assays).

Instrumentation used (summary of vendors and instrument types reported)

HTC-15 featured a broad vendor presence and examples of instrumentation and platforms discussed or demonstrated included:

• Liquid chromatography systems: UHPLC/UHPSFC platforms and column technologies for 1D and multidimensional LC.
• Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) systems and SFC–MS interfaces for chiral and achiral separations.
• Comprehensive two-dimensional GC (GC×GC) with TOF and high-resolution time-of-flight MS detectors; vacuum-ultraviolet detectors for hydrocarbon analysis.
• High-resolution and tandem mass spectrometers (Q-TOF, Orbitrap-class and hybrid systems) for metabolomics and residue analyses.
• Ion mobility spectrometry platforms (cyclic IM, FAIMS) coupled to MS for gas-phase separations and structural insights.
• Thermal analysis hyphenated to MS for high-boiling, complex petroleum fractions.
• Specialised detectors and interfaces: APPI, nano-/micro-ESI, capillary electrophoresis–MS interfaces, and novel plasma ionization and hollow cathode discharge set-ups for GC detectors.
• Automation and sample-prep hardware: robotic sample-handling platforms, SPE automation, purge & trap, high-capacity sorptive extraction and thermal desorption accessories.
• Software and data solutions: chemometrics suites, retention modelling tools, machine-learning and Bayesian analysis packages for chromatographic method development and data processing.

Main results and discussion points highlighted at the symposium

Key outcomes and emphases emerging from the meeting were:

• Multidimensional separations continue to push analytical resolving power; hybrid strategies (e.g., LC×LC, GC×GC, sequential multidimensional workflows) are maturing and becoming more practical for routine complex-sample analysis.
• SFC gained traction as a greener, high-throughput alternative for many small-molecule and chiral separations, with growing industry adoption supported by robust SFC–MS interfaces.
• Ion mobility methods are providing valuable orthogonal separation and structural information, improving identification confidence especially for isomeric species.
• Big-data challenges require integrated approaches: preprocessing (alignment, peak detection), curve-resolution algorithms (PARAFAC, MCR-ALS), multivariate modelling (PCA, PLS), and validated machine-learning workflows were presented as essential for extracting actionable information from complex hyphenated datasets.
• Automation and improved sample-preparation approaches are closing the gap between high-throughput demands and the analytical complexity of modern separations, enabling more reproducible and higher-throughput pipelines in industry settings.
• Applications presented demonstrated direct industrial relevance: clinical lipidomics, environmental suspect screening, food/flavour profiling, petroleum product characterisation, and comprehensive biopharmaceutical analytics (intact proteins, glycoforms, aggregates).
• Method development benefits from retention modelling, solvent- and temperature-modulated strategies, and software-assisted optimisation to balance throughput and selectivity.

Contributions, awards and community impact

The meeting recognised innovation through awards. The HTC Innovation Award (for scientists under 45) was presented to Prof. Carolin Huhn for instrumental developments in multidimensional separations in electric fields. The RSC Knox Medal was awarded to Prof. Peter Myers, with a plenary on the enduring role of silica. Poster awards highlighted novel approaches such as temperature-responsive columns for LC×LC, atmospheric micro hollow cathode discharge detectors, and solvent-assisted post-column refocusing to enhance detection limits. The program supported early career researchers with presentations, poster flashes and travel support, strengthening community development.

Practical benefits and applications of the methods discussed

The techniques and developments presented at HTC-15 offer practical advantages for laboratories that must resolve complex chemical spaces, including:

• Enhanced separation power and peak capacity for complex matrices, reducing coelution and improving identification/quantitation.
• Greater sensitivity and lower detection limits through post-column refocusing, selective detectors and orthogonal hyphenation strategies.
• Faster analysis and higher throughput via UHPSFC/UHPLC methods, flow-modulated multi-dimensional formats, and integrated automation.
• Improved structural and isomer discrimination by combining chromatography with ion mobility and high-resolution MS.
• Stronger data interpretation using chemometrics, ML, and Bayesian approaches enabling robust, reproducible decision-making from large datasets.

Future trends and opportunities for application

HTC-15 highlighted several trajectories likely to shape the field in coming years:

• Deeper integration of multidimensional separations with high-resolution MS and ion mobility to achieve near-complete chemical space coverage for complex samples.
• Wider adoption of SFC as a greener, high-throughput complement to LC in pharmaceutical and chiral applications.
• Expansion of advanced data science tools (machine learning, Bayesian methods, automated peak deconvolution) tailored to hyphenated datasets to improve annotation, quantitation and predictive method development.
• Increased automation across sample preparation and analysis to enable routine high-throughput workflows while maintaining high data quality.
• Continued instrumentation innovations: improved interfaces, novel ion sources, cyclic ion mobility architectures and thermal–MS hyphenations for challenging matrices.
• Standardisation and best-practice guidelines for complex-method validation and interlaboratory comparability as multidimensional methods move into regulated environments.
• Microfluidics and on-chip modulators enabling miniaturised multidimensional separations and closer coupling to detectors.

Conclusion

HTC-15 reaffirmed the central role of hyphenated separation science in addressing analytical challenges across sectors. Progress in multidimensional chromatography, SFC, ion mobility, data analytics and automation demonstrates a clear trend toward more comprehensive, higher-throughput and better-informed analyses of complex samples. The meeting fostered exchange between academic, industrial and vendor communities and promoted emerging talent through awards and early-career presentations, underscoring the discipline’s dynamic evolution and broad practical relevance.

References (conference materials and press mentions)

• Proceedings and programmes of HTC-15, Royal Society of Chemistry (Cardiff, January 2018).
• Press coverage and conference reports in Chromatography Today, LCGC Europe and International Labmate (2017–2018).
• Short-course summaries and abstracts presented at HTC-15 (topics include SFC, biopharmaceutical analysis, statistical analysis of chromatographic data).