March 27th 2025
David Megson from Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, UK, spoke to LCGC International about the latest developments in non-targeted analysis (NTA) of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in environmental matrices based on a recent systematic review paper he has collaboratively published (1).
LC–MS/MS for the Quantification of Tau and Phosphorylated Tau in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients’ CSF
April 6th 2021Quantification of Tau proteoforms in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) could be useful to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases. LC–MS/MS results can help explain the underlying molecular mechanisms of disease evolution.
Determining the Sex of Skeletons Hundreds of Year Old with NanoLC–MS/MS
March 16th 2021Rebecca Gowland and her colleagues in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University in the United Kingdom have tested, for the first time, the applicability of a new method of sex estimation utilizing enamel peptides from a sample of permanent and deciduous teeth at different stages of mineralization, from nonadults of unknown sex, including perinates, and using a minimally destructive acid etching procedure and subsequent nano liquid chromatography– tandem mass spectrometry. She spoke to us about her efforts.
Separations on Small Volume Samples
March 2nd 2021Separation-based analysis of minute specimens including tissues, clinical fluids, or single cells requires novel miniaturized front-end approaches suitable for the quantity of starting material. This symposium will focus on systems to address this challenge.
A focus on untargeted UHPLC–MS/MS lipidomics with data independent acquisition using SWATH technology. This article explores the wide-ranging potential and peculiarities of SWATH–MS hyphenated with UHPLC for the profiling of lipidomes of various biological samples.
The LCGC Blog: 10 Great Tips for Electrospray Ionization LC–MS
December 8th 2020Here are 10 great tips for optimizing LC-Electrospray Ionization (ESI)-MS so that you achieve the best possible results every time. These tips and tricks have been collated by my colleagues to form a beginner’s guide to LC-(ESI)MS and as a primer for those who are already using the technique.
The LCGC Blog: 12 Tips for a Chromatography Christmas
November 30th 2020As we approach the holiday season, in what has a been the most challenging of years both inside and outside of the laboratory, I wanted to produce a more light-hearted yet inspiring review of 2020 within the Arch Sciences Group laboratories.
This modification of ASTM method D8026 for pesticides in environmental matrices includes more pesticides and lowers the reporting limits, thus increasing throughput and measurement capacity for a large surface-water monitoring project.
Strategies for the Quantification of Endogenously Present Small Molecules in Biological Samples
July 1st 2019The main objective of this review article is to provide a clear summary of the different methods that can be used to quantify endogenous small molecules. Because of the increased use of mass spectrometry (MS) in the field of bioanalysis, a special focus will be placed on quantification by liquid chromatography (LC)–MS. Practical recommendations to face this bioanalytical challenge, in particular in terms of method validation, will also be provided.
Strategies for the Quantification of Endogenously Present Small Molecules in Biological Samples
July 1st 2019The main objective of this review article is to provide a clear summary of the different methods that can be used to quantify endogenous small molecules. Because of the increased use of mass spectrometry (MS) in the field of bioanalysis, a special focus will be placed on quantification by liquid chromatography (LC)–MS. Practical recommendations to face this bioanalytical challenge, in particular in terms of method validation, will also be provided.
Quantitative Analysis of PFAS in Drinking Water Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry
May 8th 2019Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals found in fire‑fighting foams and consumer products requiring water-resistant and stain-repellent properties. As a result of their unique chemical properties and long‑term widespread usage, these chemicals are an emerging human health concern. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released analytical methods for PFAS measurement in 2009 and most recently in November of 2018. In this article, data generated using these methods with allowed analytical modifications is presented and demonstrates robustness and reproducibility while achieving low level detection limits in drinking water.
Automated Drug Screening of Dried Blood Spots Using Online LC–MS/MS Analysis
April 9th 2019A fully automated method for the effective drug screening of large populations based on dried blood spot (DBS) technology is presented. DBSs were prepared, scanned, then spiked with deuterated standards, and directly extracted, before they were transferred online to an analytical liquid chromatography (LC) column and then to the electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) system. The method was applied to DBS samples from two patients with back pain; codeine and oxycodone could be identified and quantified accurately below the level of misuse of 89.6 ng/mL and 39.6 ng/mL, respectively.
Solvents: An Overlooked Ally for Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry
July 16th 2018Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) platforms are continually developing to offer improved sensitivity to meet the analytical demands of today’s laboratories. However, choosing an inappropriate solvent can significantly undermine the quality of results, even when using the most advanced technology; a high-purity mobile phase with excellent batch-to-batch consistency is essential for reliable and reproducible results. This article discusses the importance of selecting the correct grade of solvent for LC–MS analyses and some of the challenges arising from an insufficiently pure mobile phase.
Investigating the Role of Amino Acids in Celiac Disease Development
April 16th 2018Researchers from the University of Gothenburg, in Gothenburg, Sweden, have investigated whether plasma amino acid levels differed among children with celiac disease using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) (1).
Ultra-Sensitive Method for the Detection of Illegal Dyes in Food Spices
February 12th 2018Synthetic azo- and non-azo dyes were once commonly used as food colourings in many countries. Food safety regulators in Europe, the U.S, and other countries have now banned the use of these synthetic dyes in food because of their potential genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. In some countries, however, these dyes are still being used, especially in spices. There are currently no published legal limits for these illegal food dyes, but any detectable amount is deemed unacceptable. Thus, any analytical method used to test foods for these illegal dyes must be highly sensitive. Conventional methods are only able to provide limits of quantitation (LOQs) of 10–1000 ppb for these illegal food dyes. A reversed-phase ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) method has been developed that reliably achieves LOQs that are three-to-four orders of magnitude lower than conventional methods while also providing improved accuracy and reproducibility.
Characterizing Red Chicory Polyphenols
November 7th 2017Polyphenols are a well-known group of antioxidants widely diffused as secondary metabolites in plants, vegetables, and fruit. The Column spoke to Nicola Marchetti from the Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Ferrara in Ferrara, Italy, about his research into the characterization of polyphenols in red chicory using high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS).
Evaluating Substance Use via Wastewater Analysis: An Overview of Analytical Workflows
October 1st 2017Wastewater analysis has become an established approach for retrieving additional epidemiological information about the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco at the population level. Here, we present an overview of the recent analytical frameworks and workflows for target and suspect analyses using low- and high-resolution mass spectrometry and discuss the latest advances in wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE).