LESS IS MORE - Microelution Extraction for High Throughput Bioanalytical Workflows

Separation Science, in collaboration with Biotage, offers a webinar presenting two microelution SPE applications: the manual extraction of a panel of steroids with no elution solvent evaporation, and the extraction of a 50 analyte drug panel from urine using an automated low-volume sample processing platform.

Advances in LC-MS instrumentation are producing platforms with increasing sensitivity. These advances mean that lower specimen volumes can be used for highly sensitive bioanalytical assays. New sampling devices allow noninvasive collection of as little as 10-20 µL of blood. A pinch point in many sample preparation workflows is the evaporation of elution solvent for reconstitution prior to LC-MS analysis. This is done to convert the extracted samples to LC-MS friendly solvents, or more importantly, to concentrate the sample to increase sensitivity. Analytes can also bind to glass or plastic vials and collection plates during evaporation resulting in impaired detection.

Microelution solid phase extraction (SPE) is done with smaller sorbent bed masses (0.5-5 mg) and requires lower specimen, wash and elution volumes. Typical elution volumes are 20-50 µL. These samples can sometimes be diluted or injected without evaporation without sacrificing sensitivity, or even result in concentration without additional intervention. While this can be an advantage for the high-throughput laboratory, automation devices can struggle to accurately pipet these lower volumes. Here we present two microelution SPE applications using Biotage® Mikro extraction tips: the manual extraction of a panel of steroids with no elution solvent evaporation, and the extraction of a 50 analyte drug panel from urine using an automated low-volume sample processing platform, the Biotage® ExtraheraTM LV200.

By viewing this webinar you learn to:

• appreciate the differences between microelution and traditional SPE products and protocols
• describe processing conditions for manual and automated workflows for microelution columns
• compare protocols and results for a panel of steroids and a drug panel using traditional SPE columns and microelution columns

Presenter: Stephanie Marin (Biotage LLC, Charlotte, NC, USA)

Stephanie is a Senior Applications Chemist at Biotage. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry from Arizona State University. She has expertise in sample preparation, liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry, and has over 10 years of experience developing and validating clinical assays from her tenure at the ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology. She has additional experience doing analytical work on polymers, adhesives, coatings, food packaging, and other specialty chemicals. Stephanie has also worked in applications development and marketing for an HPLC instrument and column manufacturer, and as a supervisor at an EPA certified lab. Dr. Marin is the author of over 30 peer reviewed publications and book chapters and over 100 abstracts presented at national meetings.