Seeking More Productive Chromatography? See Productivity in a New Light

Significance of Enhanced Productivity in Chromatography

Chromatography underpins critical analyses in life sciences, environmental monitoring, food safety and pharmaceutical quality control. By enhancing productivity, laboratories can accelerate sample-to-knowledge timelines, lower costs per analysis, and improve return on investment. Advanced workflows increase confidence in trace-level quantitation and reduce manual intervention, enabling scientists to focus on decision making rather than routine maintenance.

Objectives and Overview of the Article

This whitepaper reviews a suite of 2018-era productivity solutions from Thermo Fisher Scientific aimed at each stage of chromatographic workflows. Topics include:

• High-throughput sample preparation and consumables monitoring
• Next-generation gas chromatography columns and GC-MS systems
• Ion chromatography platforms with automated eluent generation
• Integrated chromatography data system (CDS) software for multi-vendor control
• Innovative dual-path UHPLC workflows using the Vanquish Duo system
• New single-quadrupole mass spectrometers (ISQ EC/EM) for routine MS detection

Methodology and Instrumentation

• TraceGOLD TG-PAH GC columns optimized for rapid separation of 52 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at sub-parts-per-billion levels.
• Chromacol GOLD-Grade vials offering ultra-low adsorption surfaces for trace analytes.
• ISQ 7000 GC-MS and TSQ 9000 GC-MS/MS systems featuring Advanced Electron Ionization (AEI) sources and NeverVent technology for extended uptime and maintenance-free operation.
• Dionex Integrion, ICS-4000 and ICS-6000 ion chromatography systems with RFIC eluent generation and consumables monitoring to automate documentation and reduce downtime.
• Chromeleon CDS and Chromeleon XTR software managing sample scheduling, instrument control, audit-ready data archiving and laboratory execution workflows across GC, LC and IC instruments.
• Vanquish Duo UHPLC system enabling dual-channel, tandem LC/LC-MS and inverse-gradient workflows via Flex Dual Pumps and Dual Split Samplers.
• ISQ EC and ISQ EM single-quadrupole mass spectrometers with enhanced low-mass sensitivity, fast scanning (up to 20,000 Da/s), and optional APCI source for LC-MS and IC-MS applications.

Main Results and Discussion

• TraceGOLD TG-PAH columns demonstrated complete resolution of critical isobaric PAHs in half the runtime of conventional phases, with stable performance up to 360 °C.
• AEI-equipped ISQ 7000 delivered sub-femtogram detection limits in selective ion monitoring, and full-scan sensitivity improvements for untargeted screening in complex matrices.
• NeverVent technology allowed GC column and ion source exchange without venting the mass spectrometer, reducing instrument downtime by more than 50 %.
• RFIC-EG eluent generation on the ICS-6000 eliminated manual buffer preparation and provided trace-level reproducibility, while consumables monitoring saved up to one day per audit by automating usage logs.
• Chromeleon CDS users reported over 50 % reductions in mouse clicks and method development times compared to legacy software, and XTR integration ensured only qualified personnel operate calibrated instruments.
• Vanquish Duo dual LC mode halved sample analysis time by running two methods in parallel, tandem LC-MS doubled throughput for peptide mapping, and inverse-gradient compensation delivered uniform detector response across analyte chemistries.
• ISQ EM supported high-throughput oligonucleotide quality control by combining UV detection with full-scan mass confirmation, identifying low-level sequence impurities and adducts in a single run.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Significantly increased sample throughput drives down cost per analysis and maximizes instrument utilization.
• Improved quantitative certainty at trace levels avoids false positives in regulatory testing for environmental and food matrices.
• Automated tuning, remote diagnostic services and smart consumable tracking reduce hands-on time and maintenance interventions.
• Flexible multi-vendor CDS control and audit-ready data management simplify compliance in GMP, GLP and ISO environments.
• Modular UHPLC and single-quad MS configurations allow labs to tailor high-productivity workflows for small molecules, biomolecules or ions without major footprint changes.

Future Trends and Opportunities

The evolution of chromatography productivity will continue through increased automation, artificial-intelligence-driven method optimization, and tighter integration between separation and detection. Dual-pump architectures may expand to multi-dimensional separations, while real-time data analytics could trigger adaptive gradient or ion source tuning. Consumable-embedded sensors and cloud connectivity are poised to deliver predictive maintenance and uninterrupted throughput.

Conclusion

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s integrated portfolio of columns, instruments and software provides a clear path to more productive chromatography. By addressing every step from sample preparation to data analysis, laboratories can accelerate throughput, reduce operating costs and achieve greater confidence in both targeted and untargeted applications.

Reference

Seminar by Joachim Weiss and Timothy Cross, Thermo Fisher Scientific (2018)