Retaining Talent in Field-Flow Fractionation: An Initiative

Field-flow fractionation (FFF), when combined with multiple detectors, is a versatile analytical and separation technique. Over the years, the field of FFF has brought forward numerous sub-techniques and has seen a growth in popularity worldwide. However, FFF remains somewhat of a niche technique, and qualified students and personnel are leaving the field, resulting in a gap between potential and practical application. Here, we present our motivation for establishing the Young Scientists of FFF (YSFFF) initiative within the FFF community. We summarize key findings from our climate survey conducted during the International Symposium for Field and Flow-based Separations (iSFFF) in Nantes in June 2024 and outline the aims and plans of this initiative. Our objective is to foster networking and to increase talent retention in the FFF field while also enhancing the technique’s visibility through outreach and educational activities.

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Field-flow fractionation (FFF) holds the power to revolutionize separation science. Yet, despite its rich legacy spanning nearly six decades, this powerful tool remains a hidden gem. First introduced by J. Calvin Giddings in the 1960s, FFF has developed into a suite of diverse and specialized sub-techniques. Today, research groups with FFF expertise span the globe, from the Americas to East Asia and Oceania, and from Scandinavia to South Africa. These groups drive advancements in academia, industry, and government research institutions. Through the latest developments such as analyzing nanoparticles in environmental samples, developing targeted drug delivery in medicine, or through new combinations with advanced in-line detection methods (for example, mass spectrometry and small angle X-ray scattering), FFF stands at the forefront of key scientific frontiers.

Almost 10 years ago the potential of FFF to benchmark the next generation of orthogonal analytical techniques for the characterization of particle size in drug products was proved with FDA recommendations (1–3). Despite this, FFF remains a niche technique. The field struggles to retain students and professionals, resulting in a gap between the technique’s untapped potential and its practical use.

In the early days, research and technical development of FFF were mainly performed by Giddings and co-workers. Over time, a close-knit community of his students and postdoctoral scholars was formed. The first conferences dedicated to FFF took place in Utah, USA, in 1989, 1991, and 1992, before eventually alternating between the USA and Europe. These international symposia on Field and Flow‑Based Separations (iSFFF), held every one and a half to two years, have been the most important cornerstones for the FFF community to come together, interact in person, and foster connections. However, additional opportunities for networking and community building have been scarce, often limited to local groups such as the French Group of FFF (G4F [4]), or industry-driven initiatives. Most academic interactions are limited to self‑initiated collaborations between research groups, with partnerships between academia and industry underdeveloped.

This has led to a concerning trend: the FFF community is losing young researchers and hence, future professionals. Both academia and industry are struggling to attract and retain talent. Some of the key barriers to FFF’s broader adoption include the perception that it is a complex technique requiring specialized training, a limited access to educational resources, and insufficient awareness of its versatility and benefits across various scientific fields. Nearly 60 years after its invention, FFF’s vast capabilities remain hidden from mainstream scientific discourse. While there is growing interest in applying FFF in industrial sectors such as biomedicine and the pharmaceutical industry, the connection between industry and academic expertise remains fragmented. Industries are slowly starting to adopt the technique but often without the requisite expertise and with no clear line of communication with the existing FFF community, all of which would assist with creating connections and projects and recruiting young experts with talent.

A stronger network and improved educational support could directly address these issues, including the exodus of qualified young researchers. We believe that many highly educated and qualified young scientists are leaving the field because of limited networking opportunities causing limited career pathways, and a perceived absence of belonging to a community. Research highlights the critical role that the sense of community and belonging play in shaping career trajectories and retaining expertise in a certain field. Encouraging talent retention can be achieved through supportive environments (for example, through classroom support [5]), the exposure to role models (6), and access to appropriate mentoring (7). Transferring such initiatives to the field of FFF would not only enhance visibility but also create a more welcoming environment for new researchers and facilitate industry‑academia collaboration, bridging the gap between FFF’s potential and its real-world applications.

To gauge the interests and needs of our community, we conducted a climate survey among the FFF community on-site at the iSFFF meeting in Nantes in June 2024. Among the responders, 78% were academic researchers and 22% were industrial employees, with 79% identifying as FFF experts and 21% self-described as FFF beginners. Most answers were given by users working with asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) (71%), currently the most widely applied FFF sub-technique. Notably, most respondents affiliated with an FFF-focused group belonged to the French initiative G4F.

The survey results, along with discussions held with young FFF researchers at the iSFFF conference, revealed a prevailing sentiment: a lack of community and sense of belonging may be discouraging young scientists from pursuing long-term careers in FFF. This is particularly evident with undergraduate and graduate students who often feel isolated with little access to FFF expertise beyond their direct supervisors or instrument manufacturers. The underlying consensus was that while the iSFFF conferences offer valuable opportunities to connect with researchers in the field, a more consistent support network is needed. It was suggested that improvement of the online platform and the organization of online and in-person outreach activities would help to connect junior and senior FFF experts to foster knowledge exchange and interlaboratory collaborations, which in turn would encourage joint publishing. The future of FFF hinges on the urgent need to attract, train, and retain young scientists, as they are essential for sustaining innovation and expanding the reach of this powerful yet underutilized technique.

Recognizing the need for greater community support, eight highly motivated international researchers—ranging from postdoctoral scholars to scientists and assistant professors—came together to establish the Young Scientists of FFF (YSFFF). This group aims to support the Steering Board of FFF (SBFFF) by fostering talent retention and driving FFF into the future. YSFFF intends to create a more inclusive, vibrant network that not only retains talent but also enhances global visibility and integration of FFF into mainstream science. This will empower young researchers, facilitate knowledge exchange, and ultimately ensure that FFF reaches its full potential. The community present at the 2024 iSFFF meeting has responded positively, with numerous colleagues offering support and suggestions for the initiative.

It is also essential to widely communicate the existence and advantages of these techniques to the academic and industrial communities who use analytical techniques and who may not be familiar with FFF. It often happens that researchers and industrialists are unable to characterize their samples with traditional and known techniques; FFF techniques could provide them with additional complementary results. This could help to expand the FFF community and create positions for talented FFF experts in both academia and industry.

In brief, the YSFFF initiative’s core objectives are to: a) increase the visibility of FFF worldwide through webinars, workshops, and active social media presence; b) offer online activities via the official FFF web-based platform including virtual seminars, tutorials, and forums for real-time discussions; c) expand the FFF network by connecting scientists, users, and those interested in FFF through regular networking events, international meetups, and collaboration-focused programs; d) enhance outreach activities, particularly towards industrial FFF users, by fostering partnerships with key industry players and organizing collaborative industry-academia roundtables; and e) facilitate straightforward knowledge exchange and support of both FFF beginners and experts through mentorship programs, online Q&A sessions, and by establishing an accessible database of FFF research and techniques.

Without proper investment in the next generation of FFF experts, progress in the field will be limited and industries and academic institutions will struggle to find the expertise needed to push forward. To counter this, it is imperative to foster a strong sense of community, provide comprehensive and accessible training, and create regular opportunities for collaboration and networking. The lack of mentorship, isolation of young researchers, and limited industry‑academia partnerships have been detrimental, driving talent away. We believe that by building a stable network and community of researchers across all levels of expertise—from academia, industry, and government institutions—we can not only help to retain qualified professionals in the field, but also elevate the visibility, popularity, and range of applications of FFF techniques. Investing in the proposed efforts isn’t just about keeping the field alive, it’s about driving scientific innovation forward, tapping into FFF’s vast capabilities, and positioning it as a crucial tool for solving complex challenges across industries. Without such dedicated efforts, the FFF field risks stagnation, with far-reaching consequences for scientific progress.

The diverse backgrounds, positions, and expertise of the YSFFF team make it uniquely positioned to advocate for and expand FFF’s visibility and impact. However, the success of this initiative depends on the engagement, interest, and feedback from the broader FFF community. With YSFFF, we seek not only to carry forward Giddings’ legacy but to empower the next generation to transform FFF from a niche tool into a global standard in separation science. As Giddings once said: “I will add no more, for the story of FFF belongs more in the future than in the past” (8).

Acknowledgment

The Young Scientists of Field-Flow Fractionation acknowledge the support of the Steering Board for International Symposia on Field- and Flow-Based Separations (SBFFF) for this initiative
(www.fffseparation.net/about/)

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#FieldFlowFractionation

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References

(1) FDA, Guidance for Industry: Quality Considerations in Demonstrating Biosimilarity to a Reference Protein Product (issued jointly by HHS, FDA, CDER and CBER) (2012).

(2) FDA, Guidance for Industry: Quality Considerations in Demonstrating Biosimilarity of a Therapeutic Protein Product to a Reference Product (issued jointly by HHS, FDA, CDER and CBER) (2015).

(3) FDA, Drug Products, Including Biological Products, that Contain
Nanomaterials - Guidance for Industry (issued jointly by HHS, FDA, CDER and CBER) (2022).

(4) Le Groupe Francophone de FFF (G4F). https://afsep.com/clubs/groupe-fff/(accessed 2024-10-01).

(5) Wilson, D.; Jones, D.; Bocell, F.; et al. Belonging and Academic Engagement Amond Undergraduate STEM Students: A Multi-institutional Study. Res. High. Educ.2015, 56(7), 750–776.
DOI: 10.1007/s11162-015-9367-x

(6) Rosenthal, L.; Levy, S. R.; London, B.; Lobel, M.; Bazile, C. In Pursuit of the MD: The Impact of Role Models, Identity Compatibility, and Belonging Among Undergraduate Women. Sex Roles 2013, 68(7–8), 464–473. DOI: 10.1007/s11199-012-0257-9

(7) Apriceno, M.; Levy, S. R.; London, B. Mentorship During College
Transition Predicts Academic Self-Efficacy and Sense of Belonging Among STEM Students. JCSD 2020, 61(5), 643–648.

(8) Ettre, L. S.; Zlatkis, A. J. Calvin Giddings. In 75 Years of Chromatography A Historical Dialogue, 1979, 17, 87–98. DOI: 10.1016/S0301-4770(08)60638-7

Susanne Boye is deputy head of the department Advanced Macromolecular Structure Analysis and leads the FFF lab at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden.

Alina Astefanei is an assistant professor in analytical sciences at the Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Marie Hennetier joined the Ecole d’Ingénieurs de Purpan in 2017 and since 2022 she has been leading the TFFFC platform.

Valentina Marassi is tenure-track researcher and assistant professor at the University of Bologna (Chemistry Department).

Jérémie Parot is a research scientist in the Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine at SINTEF.

William C. Smith is a research scientist in the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality for the FDA.

Claudia Zielke is using separation sciences for molecules relevant for human health, and since this article has been written she has transitioned into an industry position.

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Website: https://fffseparation.net