Best of the Week: ISC 2024 Highlights, ISC Awardee Interviews, Detecting Volatile Organic Compounds

This week, LCGC International published a variety of articles on the hottest topics in chromatography. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the most popular articles, according to our readers. Happy reading!

Portable Chromatography Innovations Take Center Stage at ISC

Caroline Hroncich

Chromatography systems are becoming increasingly compact, an ongoing trend that is advancing the industry forward. This shift is enabling scientists to conduct more research directly in the field, reducing reliance on laboratory-based analysis. The miniaturization of chromatography tools is poised to transform several sectors, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and environmental monitoring, by providing researchers with portable, efficient, and reliable systems that can be used in diverse and challenging environments. During the International Symposium on Chromatography in Liverpool, U.K., on October 8, experts from both academia and industry gathered to discuss this emerging trend in a dedicated session. Ali Salehi-Reyhani, a lecturer at the Department of Surgery & Cancer at Imperial College London, led the discussion by showcasing his team’s work on miniaturizing high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems (1).

ISC 2024: An Interview with Amarande Murisier

Alasdair Matheson

During the 34th International Symposium on Chromatography, which took place from October 6–10, 2024 in Liverpool, UK, various scientists are honored for their contributions to the analytical chemistry community. This year, LCGC International was honored to present Amarande Murisier our Rising Stars of Separation Science Award for Outstanding Achievement in Biopharmaceutical Analysis, sponsored by Agilent Technologies. Amarande Murisier obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Geneva in 2022. Her research focuses on improving liquid chromatographic (LC) methods, which are essential tools for separating, identifying, and quantifying complex biological molecules. As part of our conference coverage, we sat down with Murisier to learn more about her background and what drives her interest in analytical chemistry (2).

Vrije Universiteit Brussel Scientist Wins LCGC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Liquid Chromatography

Caroline Hroncich

Bram Huygens is the 2024 winner of LCGC International’s Rising Stars of Separation Science Award for Outstanding Achievement in Liquid Chromatography, sponsored by Advanced Materials Technology (3). The award was presented on October 7, 2024, at the 34th International Symposium on Chromatography in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Huygens is a postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium, where he specializes in modeling band broadening in chromatographic separations. His research focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the factors influencing separation efficiency by using advanced mathematical techniques to analyze mass transfer phenomena (3).

ISC Environmental Session Highlights Separation and Analysis of Pollutants

Caroline Hroncich

Chromatography plays a vital role in environmental analysis by helping address some of the most pressing issues related to pollutants. This was underscored during the 34th International Symposium on Chromatography, where scientists from around the world presented the latest advancements in the field. One of the standout presentations came from Jackie Mosely, a senior lecturer in mass spectrometry at the University of York, U.K. Mosely’s team has been investigating the potential of the microorganism B. humi to produce biosurfactants from waste fruits and vegetables—an approach for bioremediation in polluted regions (4).

New Algorithm Created for Detecting Volatile Organic Compounds in Air

Aaron Acevedo

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a type of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere from both anthropogenic and biogenic sources. These substances constitute a broad range of compounds, most of which have adverse effects on human health. Longtime exposure to areas with air pollution can lead to long-term diseases, with traces of carbonyl and aromatic compounds (formaldehyde and benzene) being traced to some incidents of cancers and pulmonary issues. In a recent study, scientists from Institut de Combustion, Aérothermique, Réactivité et Environnement (ICARE-CNRS) in Orléans, France and Chromatotec in Saint-Antoine, France created a new algorithm for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air (5).

References

(1) Hroncich, C. Portable Chromatography Innovations Take Center Stage at ISC. LCGC International 2024. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/portable-chromatography-innovations-take-center-stage-at-isc (accessed 2024-10-10)

(2) Matheson, A. ISC 2024: An Interview with Amarande Murisier. LCGC International 2024. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/isc-2024-an-interview-with-amarande-murisier (accessed 2024-10-10)

(3) Hroncich, C. Vrije Universiteit Brussel Scientist Wins LCGC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Liquid Chromatography. LCGC International 2024. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/vrije-universiteit-brussel-scientist-wins-lcgc-award-for-outstanding-achievement-in-liquid-chromatography (accessed 2024-10-10)

(4) Hroncich, C. ISC Environmental Session Highlights Separation and Analysis of Pollutants. LCGC International 2024. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/isc-environmental-session-highlights-separation-and-analysis-of-pollutants (accessed 2024-10-10)

(5) Acevedo, A. New Algorithm Created for Detecting Volatile Organic Compounds in Air. LCGC International 2024. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/new-algorithm-created-for-detecting-volatile-organic-compounds-in-air (accessed 2024-10-10)