SCIEX The NanoLC™ 400 System

Significance of the topic

Precision liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in nanoflow and microflow regimes underpins the advancement of biomarker discovery, quantitative proteomics and small-molecule analysis in pharmaceutical, biological and clinical research. High sensitivity, reproducible retention times and throughput optimization are essential for robust data quality and scalable workflows.

Objectives and overview

The Eksigent Ekspert NanoLC 400 system is designed to deliver flexible low-flow LC performance, facilitating seamless transitions between nanoflow (100 nL/min–1 µL/min) for discovery-level sensitivity and microflow (1–50 µL/min) for high-throughput validation. The system aims to ensure precise flow control, reproducible injections down to 200 nL and integration with SCIEX mass spectrometers for comprehensive analytical applications.

Instrumentation Used

• Microfluidic flow modules (plug-and-play cartridges) supporting flow ranges: 100–1000 nL/min, 1–10 µL/min and 5–50 µL/min.
• High-precision autosampler capable of injection volumes as low as 200 nL.
• SCIEX Analyst Software for unified control of LC and MS operations.
• OptiFlow Turbo V Ion Source with SteadySpray probes and integrated column heater (up to 90 °C) for enhanced spray stability.
• Phenomenex low-flow columns across diverse chemistries: C18, C4, NH2, biphenyl, polar and mixed-mode phases.

Main results and discussion

Flow modules demonstrated outstanding retention time reproducibility with less than 0.35% RSD at 500 nL/min and an average peptide RSD of 0.21% across 25 injections. Comparative analyses of peptide standards at flow rates from 200 nL/min to 24 µL/min highlighted significant reductions in run times while maintaining peak intensity and resolution. SWATH Acquisition experiments on depleted plasma produced highly overlapping total ion chromatograms, confirming exceptional quantitative robustness. The system operated at pressures up to 10 000 PSI without flow splitting or pulsation issues.

Benefits and practical applications

• Enhanced nanoflow sensitivity enables deep proteome coverage and biomarker discovery.
• Microflow throughput accelerates targeted quantification in pharmaceutical and clinical labs.
• Reliable retention time precision supports high-confidence quantitative proteomics workflows.
• Modular design and broad column compatibility facilitate method development across analyte classes.

Future trends and possibilities

Upcoming innovations may include further automation of nano-to-micro transitions, integration with multi-dimensional separations, and expansion into proteogenomics and lipidomics applications. Advances in microfluidic control, ion source design and cloud-connected software are expected to enhance sensitivity, throughput and data management in next-generation low-flow LC-MS workflows.

Conclusion

The Eksigent Ekspert NanoLC 400 system combines precise microfluidic flow control, reproducible nanoscale injections and flexible software integration to meet the evolving demands of discovery and quantitative low-flow LC-MS. Its reliable performance across a wide flow range positions it as a versatile platform for advancing analytical, clinical and translational research.