Rising Stars of Separation Science: David Steiner

This month we interview David Steiner, head of product development at LVA GmbH–Lebensmittelversuchsanstalt in Klosterneuburg, Austria about his work developing liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) multiclass methods for classification of feedstuff, including replication of model complex feedstuffs in the analytical laboratory.

Papers Mentioned in Interview

(1) Steiner, D.; Malachová, A.; Sulyok, M.; Krska, R. Challenges and Future Directions in LC–MS-Based Multiclass Method Development for the Quantification of Food Contaminants. Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 2021, 413, 25–34. DOI: 10.1007/s00216-020-03015-7

(2) Steiner, D.; Sulyok, M.; Malachová, A.; Mueller, A.; Krska, R. Realizing the Simultaneous Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry-Based Quantification of >1200 Biotoxins, Pesticides, and Veterinary Drugs in Complex Feed. J. Chromatogr. A 2020, 1629, 461502. DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2020.461502

(3) Steiner, D.; Krska, R.; Malachová, A.; Taschl, I.; Sulyok, M. Evaluation of Matrix Effects and Extraction Efficiencies of LC–MS/MS Methods as the Essential Part for Proper Validation of Multiclass Contaminants in Complex Feed. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2020, 68 (12), 3868–3880. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b07706

DAVID STEINER has been immersed in the field of analytical chemistry, specializing in chromatographic separation methods, for over eight years. His primary focus has been on the development of multi-contaminant methods using LC–MS/MS systems for food and feed. One of his most significant contributions was the development of a globally unique LC-MS/MS multi-method for detecting over 1200 agricultural contaminants, including mycotoxins, pesticides, and veterinary drugs. David achieved noteworthy milestones in the validation processes of feed matrices, both for raw feed materials and complex feedstuff. His innovative approach involving the creation of artificial complex feed formulations earned recognition from the American Chemical Society in 2021 with the best research article of the year award in the section of Agrochemical. Following the completion of his PhD, David transitioned to Romer Labs, where he assumed leadership of the LC–MS/MS Analytics Department in Tulln, Austria, and also took responsibility for the analytical laboratory in Runcorn, UK. Currently, he is the Head of Product Development at LVA GmbH.