Join us for a free two-day LECO Separation Science Workshop on September 23–24, 2026, at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/companies/219">C³AL Laboratory</a> at Cal State LA. Registration is free, and meals and refreshments will be provided throughout the workshop.&nbsp;<h4>Registration</h4><blockquote>👉<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=iYeNbqIuykW7qZP4_jUEVbznDB40eK1PgjPzhHyb__9URTFTTFA5UEEzQ1A4MUtFV0o4TEJTNlZCOS4u&amp;route=shorturl">Register HERE</a>Space is limited, register today!<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/LECO_LECO_Separation_Science_Workshop_registration_332543a18e.jpg" alt="LECO: LECO Separation Science Workshop - QR code for registration" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_LECO_LECO_Separation_Science_Workshop_registration_332543a18e.jpg 156w," sizes="100vw" width="437" height="437"></blockquote><h4>Hand-on Experience with the LECO Complex Chemical Composition Analysis Lab C3AL</h4><ul><li>Work directly with LECO instruments in the C3AL Laboratory</li><li>Learn complete analytical workflows from sample to answer</li><li>Get expert guidance from LECO application scientists</li><li>Develop methods and solve real-world challenges</li><li>Collaborate, ask questions, and build your skills</li></ul><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Cal_State_LA_The_LECO_Pegasus_BTX_system_in_Cal_State_LA_s_LECO_Complex_Chemical_Compositional_Analysis_Lab_enhances_research_and_student_training_in_advanced_chemical_analysis_cover_b739e727ca.jpg" alt="Cal State LA: The LECO Pegasus BTX system in Cal State LA’s LECO Complex Chemical Compositional Analysis Lab enhances research and student training in advanced chemical analysis" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Cal_State_LA_The_LECO_Pegasus_BTX_system_in_Cal_State_LA_s_LECO_Complex_Chemical_Compositional_Analysis_Lab_enhances_research_and_student_training_in_advanced_chemical_analysis_cover_b739e727ca.jpg 227w," sizes="100vw" width="1252" height="863">The first day will focus on the fundamentals and theory of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC), with an emphasis on understanding how GC×GC can enhance your research, solve complex analytical challenges, and support your laboratory or company goals.&nbsp;The second day will be dedicated to hands-on activities, giving participants the opportunity to work directly with LECO instrumentation, learn practical analytical workflows, and analyze their own samples with guidance from LECO application scientists.&nbsp;Whether you are new to GC×GC or looking to expand its use in your research or organization, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to learn, explore, and apply the technology in a practical setting. Space is limited, so register early!<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Cal_State_LA_LECO_QUADJET_G_Cx_GC_coupled_to_Pegasus_BT_4_D_TOM_MS_in_the_Complex_Chemical_Composition_Analysis_Lab_C_AL_077a14ae34/Cal-State-LA-LECO-QUADJET-GCxGC-coupled-to-Pegasus-BT-4D-TOM-MS-in-the-Complex-Chemical-Composition-Analysis-Lab-(CAL).jpg" alt="Cal State LA: LECO QUADJET GCxGC coupled to Pegasus BT 4D TOM MS in the Complex Chemical Composition Analysis Lab (C³AL)" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Cal_State_LA_LECO_QUADJET_G_Cx_GC_coupled_to_Pegasus_BT_4_D_TOM_MS_in_the_Complex_Chemical_Composition_Analysis_Lab_C_AL_077a14ae34/thumbnail_Cal-State-LA-LECO-QUADJET-GCxGC-coupled-to-Pegasus-BT-4D-TOM-MS-in-the-Complex-Chemical-Composition-Analysis-Lab-(CAL).jpg 234w," sizes="100vw" width="1949" height="1299">

LECO Separation Science Workshop

An international research team, which included scientists from the Faculty of Science at Palacký University and the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, has succeeded in unraveling the complex mechanism by which a chemical bond is formed during a collision between molecules. The experts found that the reaction only takes place if the molecules are oriented towards each other within a very narrow range of angles – within the so-called cone of reaction. This joint research has thus provided an answer to one of the fundamental questions of chemistry: under what conditions do chemical bonds form between molecules. The results of the study&nbsp;Spatially resolving the cone of reaction for a single molecule&nbsp;were published in the prestigious scientific journal&nbsp;Science.Many chemical reactions begin with the collision of two particles. However, for a new chemical bond to form, it is not enough for the molecules simply to come into contact. Their collision must occur with sufficient energy, in the correct relative orientation and at the right location. Under normal conditions, such as in solutions or gases, molecules collide chaotically, and the precise parameters of these collisions cannot therefore be controlled.<h4>Molecules under control</h4>Scientists were able to control the collisions of individual molecules on a copper surface and monitored the process using a scanning tunnelling microscope. They used the instrument not only to visualise individual molecules, but also to deliberately accelerate the reactants towards one another. They subsequently analysed each collision with atomic-level resolution. This enabled them to determine unequivocally whether a new chemical bond had formed between the molecules.<h5>“What is hidden in the statistics of billions of collisions in conventional chemistry, we have managed to break down into individual cases and map directly.” Adam Matěj</h5>A key finding of the study is that the outcome of a collision is determined by the extremely precise orientation of the molecules. A new bond was formed only when the target molecule was oriented within a few degrees of the direction of movement of the other molecule. When rotated by more than fifteen degrees, the molecules simply bounced off each other without any reaction.<h4>The precise orientation of the molecules is crucial</h4>“For the first time, we were able to observe, using a single molecule, exactly how precisely it must be oriented for the reaction to take place at all. What is hidden in the statistics of billions of collisions in conventional chemistry, we have managed to break down into individual cases and map directly,” said Adam Matěj from the Department of Physical Chemistry at the Faculty of Science.The theoretical part of the study, in which researchers from Palacký University and the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences were involved, played a significant role. Using quantum-mechanical calculations, they explained why the ‘reaction cone’ is so narrow. It turned out that the reactive carbon atom is surrounded by hydrogen atoms, which block the access of the reacting molecule from almost all directions.<h4>The arrangement of atoms restricts access to the reaction</h4>The calculations also shed light on a surprising experimental result. The chemical reaction took place even when the molecule moved along an adjacent row of copper atoms, where, according to the original assumptions, no bond should have formed.<h5>“The strength of this work lies in the fact that the experiment and theory have been brought together into a single picture. The microscope showed what happens during the collision, and the calculations explained why.” Pavel Jelínek</h5>“The explanation lies in the slight displacement of a single copper atom on the surface. The target’s bond to the surface pulls it out of its position and brings it close enough to the neighbouring row that it can literally take over the projectile and direct it to the correct spot. This shows that the surface is not merely a passive substrate, but actively participates in the reaction itself and can even facilitate pathways that would otherwise be unfavourable,” noted Adam Matěj.<h4>The surface also determines the course of the reaction</h4>The results are significant for the development of so-called surface reactions, in which new materials and nanostructures are purposefully assembled from individual molecules. A better understanding of the influence of the spatial arrangement of molecules will enable the design of molecular building blocks so that they bond more reliably and efficiently. This represents an important step towards the development of technologies based on the controlled construction of structures atom by atom.“The strength of this work lies in the fact that experiment and theory have been brought together into a single picture. The microscope showed what happens during the collision, and the calculations explained why. Without a theoretical model, we would have found it difficult to discover that the movement of a single surface atom is behind the unexpected course of the reaction,” added Pavel Jelínek from the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences.<blockquote>The study&nbsp;Spatially resolving the cone of reaction for a single molecule&nbsp;was produced in collaboration between researchers from the University of Graz, the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Palacký University in Olomouc, Charles University and Humboldt University in Berlin.</blockquote>

Scientists reveal when chemical bonds form in molecular collisions 

Injecting water into a gas chromatography (GC) system has always raised concerns for analysts. Many wonder if water will damage their <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products?category=7&amp;manufacturerItems=50">GC column</a> or instrument. In fact, one of the most common questions in gas chromatography water analysis is whether aqueous samples can be safely introduced without compromising results.Selecting the right GC column for water analysis and following proper injection techniques can minimize the risk of column damage and maintain reliable analytical results.<h3>Why Water Injections Are Risky in GC</h3>Water injections in gas chromatography columns are risky due to the following reasons:<h4>Backflash Issues</h4>Water expands significantly when vaporized at high inlet temperatures (e.g., 250–300 °C). If the expansion volume exceeds the inlet liner capacity, backflash can occur. This contaminates injector parts, leaving residues that cause ghost peaks, carryover, sample loss, and elevated baselines, ultimately reducing reproducibility and accuracy.<h4>Stationary Phase Degradation</h4>As a highly polar solvent, water can hydrogen bond with stationary phase polymers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or wax phases. Repeated exposure alters selectivity, shifts retention times, and may increase bleed in non-crosslinked phases. While older immobilized PEG phases are especially vulnerable, modern chemically bonded and crosslinked stationary phases offer improved resistance, making them more suitable to inject up to 100% water samples.<h4>Incomplete Vaporization</h4>Water’s high boiling point and poor wetting of non-polar stationary phases can result in incomplete vaporization. This may lead to peak splitting, band broadening, or reduced sensitivity. For this reason, injection settings need to be finely adjusted to avoid these effects.<h4>Detector Issue</h4>Standard GC detectors do not directly detect water. Excess water injected into a flame ionization detector (FID) can quench or even extinguish the flame, while moisture in an electron capture detector (ECD) can interfere with electron capture efficiency, suppressing signals or causing false responses.<h3>Choosing the Right GC Columns for Water-Containing Samples</h3>Here are some strategies that can help you increase the life of GC columns when analyzing water-containing samples.<ul><li>Use of cross-linked phases: Modern stationary phase design has greatly improved tolerance to water injections in GC. Cross-linking chemically bonds the stationary phase to the silica surface, making it far more resistant to leaching or washout from polar solvents. Traditionally immobilized but not cross-linked phases were much more vulnerable to degradation. For example, polyethylene glycol (PEG) phases are inherently hydrophilic and prone to water damage unless cross-linked. With technologies such as engineered self-crosslinking (ESC), used in Phenomenex <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/1571">Zebron ZB-WAXplus GC columns</a>, PEG phases can withstand repeated water injections without significant loss of efficiency.</li><li>Use of non-polar columns: Non-polar bonded and cross-linked columns (e.g., PDMS phases) are inherently resistant to water damage, though incomplete vaporization may still affect peak quality.</li></ul><h3>Tips to Protect Your GC System from Water Damage</h3>Implementing a few key tips can help protect your GC system from water damage. Here are some of the important recommendations:<ul><li>Keep injections small: Limit water injections to ≤0.2 µL to minimize backflash and protect the stationary phase.</li><li>Select the right liner: Use an appropriately sized inlet liner (e.g., 4.0 mm ID tapered or with a double gooseneck) to reduce backflash. A deactivated glass wool plug can promote rapid vaporization, though it may not be suitable for all analytes.</li><li>Reduce syringe carryover: Rinse syringes with a 50:50 methanol–water mixture between injections. In some methods, preparing samples with a small percentage of methanol can improve reproducibility and syringe performance.</li><li>Optimize solvent and injector conditions: Limit water injections to ≤0.2 µL to minimize backflash and protect the stationary phase.</li><li>Adjust carrier gas conditions: Ensure your <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/article/5538">gas chromatography injector setup</a> is correct to prevent water buildup. Combining water with a lower-expansion solvent (e.g., methanol) and maintaining an optimized injector temperature helps improve vaporization while limiting expansion.</li><li>Maintain a clean carrier gas supply: Replace gas cylinders before they are nearly empty to avoid backflow or moisture intrusion into the system While injecting water into a GC system is not simple and ideal, it can be managed safely with the right precautions. By choosing the appropriate stationary phase, following proper GC injector setup, and maintaining your instrument, you can conduct gas chromatography water analysis with confidence. For more information on GC hardware and maintenance, explore the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.phenomenex.com/resources/knowledge-center/gc-knowledge-center/understanding-the-essential-components-of-gas-chromatography">key parts of a GC instrument</a>.</li></ul>

Water Injections in GC: Is it Safe?

Article

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Academy

Science and research

Phenomenex is a global technology leader committed to developing novel analytical chemistry solutions that solve the separation and purification challenges of researchers in industrial, government and academic laboratories.

Phenomenex

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.

LECO

Palacký University Olomouc (UP) is an internationally respected and scientifically and academically highly productive university in Central Europe. Founded 22 December 1573, it is the second-oldest university in the Czech Republic and the oldest one in Moravia. For 450 years it has contributed to the intellectual wealth of society and to its scientific, cultural, and social development.

Palacký University Olomouc

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Part 1. The analysis of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) requires ultralow-level sensitivity and an optimized and robust analytical system to generate consistent results. In this webinar, we look at the analysis of POPs and discuss how to overcome challenges and bottlenecks, such as selecting the appropriate consumables to sorting out injection conditions, getting rid of poor peak shape, and optimizing instrument performance. We have had all the fun developing the method so you can easily implement it into your labs.
Part 2. As an alternate to GC-MS/MS, high-resolution mass spectrometry provides simple method setup and a non-targeted acquisition that allows target compounds to be decided post acquisition. This approach is highly suitable for POPs analysis and permits the simultaneous quantitative analysis of targeted POPs while at the same time screening for compounds not expected to be present in the samples. In this webinar, we will discuss the results of experiments with GC Orbitrap mass spectrometry including:
<ul>
<li>Precision, accuracy, and identification capabilities in targeted workflows</li>
<li>Application for quantitative POPs analysis in penguin blood using simultaneous target SIM and full-scan analysis</li>
<li>Sensitivity enhancements using variable eV</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Aaron Lamb (Senior Mass Spectrometry Applications Specialist, Thermo Fisher Scientific)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Aaron is an experienced analytical chemist and mass spectrometrist responsible for application method development using GC–MS, in particular using single- and triple quadrupole-based mass spectrometry for food and environmental markets. Aaron has also worked in industry as an R&amp;D and Pharma Team Leader at Intertek using a multitude of analytical techniques including ion chromatography, GC–MS and LC–MS in health care and pharmaceutical analyses.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Christopher Rattray (Senior Scientist I, Restek Corporation)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Chris is an experienced Application Chemist with a demonstrated history of working in the chemicals industry. Skilled in Research and Development (R&amp;D), Method Development, Chemistry, Sample Preparation, and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Strong research professional with a BS focused in Chemistry from University of California, Riverside.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Nicholas Warner (Senior Scientist, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU))
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Nicholas&#39; current research interests involve measuring and understanding the environmental fate of emerging pollutants, with special focus on organosilicone compounds. North of Norway provides him a unique opportunity to study the fate of these compounds in remote regions. Much of his research focus has been placed on studying the fate of volatile methylsiloxanes in Arctic regions. However, Nicholas&#39; recent research interests have been expanded into chlorinated paraffins and the development of analytical methodologies using GC Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry for measuring emerging and unknown chemical exposure risks to Arctic environments.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Dominic Roberts (Product Marketing Manager, GC Orbitrap MS, Thermo Fisher Scientific)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Dominic has been closely involved with the Thermo Scientific GC Orbitrap MS since its launch in 2015. He started at Thermo Fisher Scientific as a Senior Applications Specialist for the product and is currently the GC Orbitrap MS Marketing Manager. Dominic is an experienced analytical chemist and mass spectrometrist with more than 18 years of experience using state-of-the-art analytical systems. He has worked in both a regulatory and industrial environment with GC-MS and LC-MS systems to investigate a variety of chemicals in food, biological, and environmental samples.
</blockquote>

Thermo Scientific - Environmental Webinar Week

Persistent Ongoing Perfection: Optimization of a GC-MS/MS Method for the Analysis of POPs Plus an Alternate Approach Utilizing High-resolution Mass Spectrometry

Whisky is a premium product produced using long established methods. The complex processes employed result in a final product that has unique characteristics and has high commercial value. As such, it is essential that whisky producers are able to obtain an accurate and comprehensive chemical profile that is characteristic to their individual product. This information can then be used to identify adulterated or counterfeit products and enable action to be taken, with confidence, to protect the product and brand.
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is routinely used for chemical profiling applications due to its chromatographic resolution, reproducibility, peak capacity, and convenient spectral libraries. Gas chromatography (GC) provides excellent chromatographic separation capability to enable a comprehensive chemical signature of a sample to be obtained. 
The recent introduction of high resolution, accurate mass (HRAM) Orbitrap technology coupled to GC brings a new level of performance and flexibility in GC-MS full-scan acquisition. This technology, in combination with sophisticated software tools (Compound Discoverer 3.2) that enable fast data processing and statistical analysis, has the potential to provide a complete workflow solution. 
In this webinar, we will highlight a proof-of-concept study using the Thermo Scientific™ Q Exactive™ GC Orbitrap™ GC-MS/MS in the characterisation and profiling of extracts of whisky samples.

Thermo Scientific: Whisky Galore! Chemical Profiling and Differential Analysis

Whisky Galore! Chemical Profiling and Differential Analysis

The identification of unknown compounds in one of the most challenging tasks for analytical chemists due to the wide scope of the analysis and the importance of arriving at a confident conclusion. The challenges exist from generic sample preparation, through to instrumental detection and software processing to isolate and make confident compound identifications. The applications of extractable and leachable impurities in food or bio/pharmaceutical products, food safety and metabolomics are areas where unknown’s analysis is essential. Finding a high risk leached impurity in the production pipeline or a food contaminant can lead to costly delays or product withdrawal. High resolution accurate mass spectrometry (HRAM) using Orbitrap technology offers a new dimension in confidence for rapid, simple unknown identification. We present workflows for unknown identification using GC Orbitrap based mass spectrometry and spectral libraries that can allow you to insure that a comprehensive picture of your sample is obtained.
<blockquote>
Presenter: Dominic Roberts (Product Marketing Manager GC/GC-MS EMEA, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Runcorn, UK)
</blockquote>

Thermo Fisher Scientific: Confident identification of unknowns using GC Orbitrap MS

Confident identification of unknowns using GC Orbitrap MS

Most iodine-containing disinfection byproducts have been shown to be much more toxic than chlorinated and brominated counterparts, and to date only a few of them have been characterized in disinfection byproduct mixtures. During this webinar, Dr Cristina Postigo, Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), will describe how novel Orbitrap-based GC Mass Spectrometry can be used to uncover and potentially identify these unknown compounds. In addition to describing how disinfection byproduct mixtures were produced at lab-scale and the parameters of the analysis, she will also explain the workflow that was used to characterize the iodinated disinfection byproducts from the high resolution accurate mass data obtained.
Watch the webinar to learn:
<ul>
<li>How to produce disinfection byproduct mixture concentrates from lab-scale disinfection reactions</li>
<li>How to use high resolution accurate mass data to characterize volatile and semi-volatile molecules containing iodine</li>
</ul>

Pixabay/Hans Braxmeier: Analysis of Emerging Contaminants Series, Part I: Identification of Iodinated Disinfection Byproducts by GC-MS/MS

Analysis of Emerging Contaminants Series, Part I: Identification of Iodinated Disinfection Byproducts by GC-MS/MS

Part 1: Alex Makarov briefly introduces the GC Orbitrap technology and how its design supports a wide range of analytical applications, such as environmental, food safety, metabolomics, and pharmaceutical.
Part 2: Migration of compounds from one medium to another imposes a lot of issues on product quality, impacts regulation, and impairs product safety. The extent of compound migration has to be monitored per certain standards. There are techniques or programs implemented/established in industries to monitor and test for component migration, otherwise called extractables and leachables (E&amp;L).
These test requirements or programs for monitoring E&amp;L compounds are well established for pharmaceutical products, medical devices, food packaging, semiconductor materials, and biotechnology products. The techniques for testing are established to detect and identify hundreds of compounds, however, a common challenge still exists in toxicology assessment because many compounds detected cannot be identified or verified.
In this talk, Ekong Bassey will describe a workflow that utilizes the Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ GC-MS system to screen, detect, identify, and characterize E&amp;L compounds.
<blockquote>
Presenter: Alexander Makarov, Ph.D. (Director Global Research LSMS, Thermo Fisher Scientific)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Alexander Makarov was born in the Siberian town of Irkutsk in 1966 and went to study at the Moscow Engineering Physics institute where he also obtained his Ph.D. After 2 post-doc years at Warwick University, he joined HD Technologies, a small high-tech company in Manchester (UK) where he started his work on the Orbitrap mass analyzer. Following the acquisition of the firm by Thermo Electron Corp. in 2000, Alexander provided scientific leadership of Orbitrap R&amp;D, which led to the commercial launch of LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometer in 2005 and subsequent extensions and new generations of this technology.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
He has received multiple awards, including the ASMS Award for Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry and the Thomson medal of IMSF. He holds the position of Director of Research, Life Science Mass Spectrometry, in Bremen, Germany and Chair in High Resolution Mass Spectrometry at Utrecht University in Netherlands. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2020.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Ekong Bassey (Application Scientist, Thermo Fisher Scientific)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Ekong Is an Applications Scientist and an Integral member of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Center Of Excellence. In his role, he is focused on developing Orbitrap GC applications and integrated workflow solutions. He also supports the sales team by interfacing with both internal and external customers
</blockquote>

Thermo Fisher Scientific: Overview of the GC Orbitrap Technology and Its Application to Extractables & Leachables in Medical Devices or Pharmaceutical Products

Overview of the GC Orbitrap Technology and Its Application to Extractables & Leachables in Medical Devices or Pharmaceutical Products

In agriculture products R&amp;D and manufacturing, small molecule unknowns identification (ID) is important in both the crop protection and seeds spaces. For crop protection, unknowns ID is critical for both: 1) registration of products with government regulatory agencies and 2) side-reaction mechanisms for elimination or reduction of final product impurities. For seeds and traits, unknowns ID becomes important for phenotyping and gene-mode of action through plant tissue metabolomics. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) coupled with either gas chromatography (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC) is an excellent tool for structure elucidation due to the combination of speed, sensitivity, and mass accuracy. The selection and application of appropriate software tools also become indispensable. Here, efforts to improve the confidence of unknowns and throughput on both crop protection and seeds using commercially available software and hardware tools will be discussed.
<blockquote>
Presenter: Chengli Zu, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator, Mass Spectrometrist, Corteva Agriscience)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Chengli Zu is an analytical chemist focusing on structural elucidation of small molecule organic compounds using mass spectrometry. Chengli started his career in Analytical Sciences at Dow Chemical Company after obtaining his Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry in 2007. His key job responsibilities were to support a wide variety of projects/products such as surfactants, coatings, performance fluids, reverse osmosis membranes, electronic materials, and synthetic crop protection molecules. Chengli has four granted patents and two provisional patent filings during his career at Dow. In August 2017, Chengli joined Analytical Sciences in Dow AgroSciences (now Corteva Agriscience) and relocated to Indianapolis. He is currently leading the mass spectrometry-based impurity ID team in support of new pipeline molecules and manufacturing problem solving.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Before joining Dow Chemical, Chengli studied organic chemistry for his Ph.D. at the Mississippi State University under the guidance of Dr. Michael Koscho. His dissertation is titled “Enantiomer Analysis Using Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry.” In graduate school, he spent most of his time synthesizing chiral pure compounds as chiral selectors, which were used to recognize chiral analytes with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI/MS). Chengli also had two years of experience in natural products chemistry.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Brian Ruddy, Ph.D. (Research Scientist, Corteva Agriscience)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Brian Ruddy originally hails from Troy, NY and has been with Corteva Agriscience since 2013. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Florida State University, where he studied mass spectrometry under Alan Marshall at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory’s Ion Cyclotron Resonance national user facility. He has managed mass spectrometry facilities at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, MD and at Taxon Biosciences in Tiburon, California. Brian enjoys golf, saltwater fishing (when he can get to the coast), and spending time with his wife and two small children.
</blockquote>

Thermo Fisher Scientific: Unknowns Structure Elucidation in the Development of Sustainable Agricultural Products by Modern Mass Spectrometry

Unknowns Structure Elucidation in the Development of Sustainable Agricultural Products by Modern Mass Spectrometry

Sample preparation is one of the most important steps of the analytical process and has the largest impact on the quality and the reliability of the analytical data package. The three major reasons for performing sample preparation are the following.
<ul>
<li>Reduce or eliminate sample incompatibility with the analytical systems (analysis of solid samples with gas or liquid chromatography-based technique)</li>
<li>Eliminate heavy matrix components and reduce matrix interferences</li>
<li>Concentrate the samples</li>
</ul>
A “good” sample preparation method would meet the following requirements:
<ul>
<li>Non discriminative for the targets and discriminative for the matrix interferences</li>
<li>Result of the extraction is predictable</li>
<li>Quick</li>
<li>Cost effective</li>
<li>Automated</li>
<li>Complies with current regulations and regulatory expectations</li>
<li>Highly repeatable</li>
<li>Easy to perform</li>
<li>Safe for the environment</li>
</ul>
Depending of the target analyte group, different sample preparation techniques should be used in the analytical process. Mass spectrometry, hyphenated with chromatographic separation, has a long and successful history of analyzing finished product of different natures (pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer products). Its versatility, unmatched low detection limit, and capability to detect a wide range of organic compounds makes it ideal to characterize those various finished products. Mass spectrometry can be used for high-sensitivity targeted analysis, as well as non-targeted screening, and it is also an excellent research tool for identifying previously unknown chemical entities.
Recently, the relatively easy access to tandem (MS/MS) and high-resolution accurate mass based systems (HRAM), can lower the detection limit of high-risk targeted analytes. To enhance the productivity of the mass spectrometric detection, it is very often combined with an automated sample preparation option such as static head-space or SPME. This presentation will focus on presenting case studies for using various high-performance sample preparation methods in combination with either HRAM or MS/MS detection.
<blockquote>
Presenter: Gyorgy Vas, Ph.D. (Owner, VasAnalytical)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
“Research is four things: brains with which to think, eyes with which to see, machines with which to measure, and fourth, money.” - Prof. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Gyorgy Vas has over 20 years of experience in scientific research, product development, and laboratory management. More than half of this time was spent in a cGMP environment, where that scientific expertise was applied to solve problems related to finished pharmaceutical products and medical devices. In his current position, he is advising regulatory filing strategy for multiple clients, and his group provides solutions to mitigate deficiency letters. He made significant achievements to implement state-of-the-art solventless sample preparation techniques into the cGMP laboratory processes. Gyorgy is one of the few persons in the field with expertise in method development and validation for ultratrace (parts-per-trillion) level impurities in finished pharmaceutical products and medical devices.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Recently he is focusing on applications of HRAM technology hyphenated with gas chromatography to evaluate trace-level impurities in food and pharmaceutical products.
</blockquote>

Thermo Fisher Scientific: Advanced Sample Preparation Combined with Mass Spectrometric Detection (HRAM, TQ) for Analyzing Pharmaceutical, Consumer Products and Medical Devices

GCMS webinars focusing on GC/Orbitrap - page 5

Advanced Sample Preparation Combined with Mass Spectrometric Detection (HRAM, TQ) for Analyzing Pharmaceutical, Consumer Products and Medical Devices