Advancing Agriculture for Future Generations: The Impact of Chromatography on an Important Field
Welcome to our “Advancing Agriculture for Future Generations” content series!
Below is a compilation of news stories, Q&As, and technical articles that spotlight the current and ongoing chromatographic research in the field of agriculture.
Click an article below to begin your journey!
Solving Challenges in the Agricultural Industry Using Separation Science: An Interview with Mary Ellen McNally
Mary Ellen McNally has been widely recognized for her contributions to the field of separations, particularly supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), and for applications of chromatography and mass spectrometry to industrial problems. We recently spoke to her about her work using mass spectrometry to solve problems in the agricultural industry.
Author: Jerome Workman, Jr.
Exploring the Small-Molecule Composition of Voacanga africana Seeds Using LADI-MS: An Interview with Rabi Musah
Rabi Ann Musah, PhD, a professor of chemistry at the University of Albany, State University of New York, is exploring ways to help protect seed viability through optimizing the isolation of specific compounds. We sat down with her to discuss her research and findings.
Author: Will Wetzel
Comparing the Chemical Profiles of Plant-Based and Traditional Meats Using GC–MS-Based Metabolomics
This article describes an untargeted gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS)-based metabolomics approach that compares the chemical profiles of a popular plant-based meat alternative and grass-fed ground beef using a GC system coupled to a GC–MS device.
Author: Stephan van Vliet, James Bain, Demitrius Hill, Michael Muehlbauer, Carl Pieper, Frederick D. Provenza, Stephan Baumann, Tarun Anumol
New Technologies That Accelerate Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP) Sample Preparation
Despite best efforts in 2004 to ban their use, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) remain prevalent across the globe, including in soil. To protect human health, agricultural and environmental soil require careful investigation, but preparing samples for gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis is time-consuming, and mostly done manually. Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) has been the preferred preparation method for the past few decades, and while we have seen advancements, the method remains manual. Now, new technology offers parallel sample processing, combined extraction and evaporation, and automation—leading to faster analysis, reduced risk of error, and freed-up time for personnel.
Author: Chris Shevlin, Rahmat Ullah
Novel Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Analysis of 102 Pesticides and Five Mycotoxins Regulated by the State of Colorado in Dried Hemp
A simple, fast, green, and cheap acetonitrile solvent extraction method was used to extract the pesticides and mycotoxins from the hemp matrix with good extraction efficiency in the range of 80–120%.
Author: Avinash Dalmia
From “Green” to “Sustainable” Sample Preparation in Omics Studies in the Natural Product Field: Case Studies Dealing with Cannabis sativa L.
Plant metabolomics requires that as many metabolites as possible are extracted to obtain a reliable picture of the sample under study. Therefore, sample preparation plays a crucial role. In recent years, several efforts have been made to improve the environmental friendliness of sample preparation, including in the plant sector. However, the environmental friendliness of a method cannot be evaluated without also considering its productivity and, more importantly, its analytical performance to ensure not only environmental friendliness but also the “sustainability” of sample preparation approaches.
Author: Cecilia Cagliero
Multi-Active Method (MAM) for the Analysis of Agriculture Product Technical Ingredients and Formulated Products
A collaborative multi-analyte method developed utilizes HPLC and UHPLC to analyze more than 70 active ingredients. This method offers a validated approach for determining technical AI alongside linearity, precision, accuracy, and specificity tests for seven active ingredients.
Author: Jim Garvey, Olga Nováková, Olivier Pigeon, Mary Ellen P. McNally
Novel Analytical Method Detects Pesticide Residues in Livestock Urine
Using LC–MS in conjunction with QuEChERS extraction was demonstrated in this study to have the ability to monitor pesticide pollution in livestock breeding.
Author: LCGC Staff
Understanding Antioxidant Capacity: Insights from the Folin–Ciocalteu Assay
A study from Spain delves into the Folin–Ciocalteu assay, and why the method is effective at quantifying polyphenols in various agricultural food products.
Author: LCGC Staff
Study Enhances Crop Yield by Precisely Identifying High-Quality Seeds
Distinguishing between viable and non-viable seeds requires an advanced chromatographic technique. A study conducted by researchers from China Agricultural University highlights how HS-GC-IMS can be used to help solve this frequent problem in the agricultural industry.
Author: LCGC Staff
Unveiling Phenolic Pollutants in Dairy Products: A Breakthrough Analysis
A recent study conducted at the University of Jaén in Spain, unveils the presence of 21 phenolic pollutants, including bisphenols and alkylphenols, in milk and dairy products, with significant concentrations detected in items packaged in materials such as polystyrene terephthalate and multilayer packaging, emphasizing the importance of packaging choices in minimizing phenolic contamination.
Author: LCGC Staff
New Mycotoxin Detection Method: MIL-101(Cr)@Fe3O4 Nanocomposites Enhances Agricultural Product Safety
Researchers at the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences have developed a new magnetic solid-phase extraction method using MIL-101(Cr)@Fe3O4 nanocomposites, detailed in the Food Control journal, enabling the efficient and simultaneous detection of multiple mycotoxins in agricultural products, potentially impacting food and feed safety standards.
Author: LCGC Staff
Unraveling Livestock Odor: Innovative Techniques for VOC Characterization in Farm Effluents
Researchers at Agro Innovation International in France have employed the HS-SPME-GC–MS technique to characterize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in farm effluents, presenting a simple, fast, and economical method for quantifying 177 and 77 VOCs in laboratory and field tests, respectively, providing valuable insights for monitoring olfactory nuisances and predicting effluent material evolution.
Author: LCGC Staff
Scientists Reveal New Method for Soil Pesticide Detection Based on UHPLC-MS/MS
Scientists in Mexico developed a new method for detecting herbicides in agricultural soil, being based on techniques like 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC-Cl) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).
Author: Aaron Acevedo
HILIC–MS/MS Quantifies Nereistoxin Insecticides in Foods of Animal Origin
For the first time, say researchers Seung-Hyun Yang and Hoon Choi of Wonkwang University in Iksan, South Korea, an analytical method is being proposed for the simultaneous quantification of nereistoxin insecticides (NIs) and their metabolite, also called nereistoxin, in foods of animal origin.
Author: Patrick Lavery
HPLC Methods with Different Detection Types Determine Whey Protein Content in Cheese
High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was paired with both diode array and fluorescence detection (DAD and FLD, respectively) to measure Edam cheese for is total and acid-soluble whey content.
Author: Patrick Lavery
Unraveling the Dynamics of GM3 Gangliosides in Human Milk Across Lactation Stages
A study from Gdańsk University of Technology in Poland analyzes GM3 gangliosides in human milk, elucidating their molecular distribution and dynamic changes throughout lactation. Read a Q&A about the study here.
Author: Patrick Lavery
AI and GenAI Applications to Help Optimize Purification and Yield of Antibodies From Plasma
October 31st 2024Deriving antibodies from plasma products involves several steps, typically starting from the collection of plasma and ending with the purification of the desired antibodies. These are: plasma collection; plasma pooling; fractionation; antibody purification; concentration and formulation; quality control; and packaging and storage. This process results in a purified antibody product that can be used for therapeutic purposes, diagnostic tests, or research. Each step is critical to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of the final product. Applications of AI/GenAI in many of these steps can significantly help in the optimization of purification and yield of the desired antibodies. Some specific use-cases are: selecting and optimizing plasma units for optimized plasma pooling; GenAI solution for enterprise search on internal knowledge portal; analysing and optimizing production batch profitability, inventory, yields; monitoring production batch key performance indicators for outlier identification; monitoring production equipment to predict maintenance events; and reducing quality control laboratory testing turnaround time.
2024 EAS Awardees Showcase Innovative Research in Analytical Science
November 20th 2024Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Washington, and other leading institutions took the stage at the Eastern Analytical Symposium to accept awards and share insights into their research.
