This guide explains how to select an appropriate size exclusion chromatography (SEC) column for the analysis of biologics. SEC separates molecules based on their hydrodynamic radius, reflecting their size and shape rather than molecular weight.<ul><li>Molecules penetrate the pores of the stationary phase</li><li>There are no chemical interactions with the stationary phase</li><li>Larger molecules elute faster</li><li>Smaller molecules elute later</li></ul><h3>Principle of SEC Separation</h3>The separation mechanism is based on molecular size:Large molecules → do not enter the pores → travel through the interstitial spaces between particles → elute earlierSmall molecules → enter the pores → follow a longer path → elute later<h3>Key Parameters for Column Selection</h3><h4>1. Molecule Nature</h4>Start by evaluating:<ul><li>hydrodynamic radius</li><li>molecular shape</li></ul>Examples:<ul><li>Peptides: ~0.7 nm</li><li>Large biomolecules (e.g., AAVs): ~25 nm</li><li>mRNA: elongated, non-globular structure</li></ul><h4>2. Pore Size Selection</h4>The pore size of the stationary phase should be:<ul><li>3–4 times larger than the hydrodynamic radius of the target molecule</li></ul><h4>3. Particle Size</h4><ul><li>≤ 3 µm</li><li>ensures high separation efficiency</li></ul><h4>4. Stationary Phase Material</h4><ul><li>Prefer mechanically robust media, such as silica</li><li>Capable of withstanding high back pressure</li></ul><h4>5. Surface Chemistry</h4><ul><li>Chemical surface inertness is critical</li><li>Diol chemistry is preferred, because:<ul><li>it minimizes interactions</li><li>it provides a highly hydrophilic surface</li></ul></li></ul><h4>6. Column Hardware</h4><ul><li>Use bio-inert hardware</li><li>ensures:<ul><li>minimal analyte loss</li><li>high reproducibility</li></ul></li></ul><h3>Available SEC Column Options (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products?category=353&amp;manufacturerItems=50&amp;search=dsec">BioZen dSEC Family</a>)</h3><h4>1. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/2192">90 Å (9 nm)</a></h4><ul><li>peptides</li><li>small proteins</li><li>aggregates up to ~50 kDa</li></ul><h4>2. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/1534">200 Å</a></h4><ul><li>antibodies</li><li>antibody–drug conjugates</li><li>short oligonucleotides</li></ul><h4>3. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/1535">700 Å (70 nm)</a></h4><ul><li>AAVs</li><li>mRNA</li><li>large protein complexes (e.g., IgM)</li></ul><h3>Column Characteristics</h3><ul><li>silica-based particles</li><li>diol surface chemistry (hydrophilic, inert)</li><li>bio-inert hardware</li><li>designed for:<ul><li>high recovery</li><li>high reproducibility</li></ul></li></ul><h3>Performance and Calibration</h3><h4>Proteins and AAVs</h4><ul><li>90 Å → low molecular weight (up to ~50 kDa)</li><li>200 Å → medium range (up to ~450–500 kDa)</li><li>700 Å → large molecules (including AAVs)</li></ul><h4>RNA and DNA</h4><ul><li>separation of molecules with non-globular shapes</li><li>200 Å → smaller oligonucleotides</li><li>700 Å → larger nucleic acid chains (up to ~3000–4000 nucleotides)</li></ul><h3>Conclusion</h3>Selecting the correct SEC column requires:<ul><li>understanding molecule size and shape</li><li>choosing an appropriate pore size</li><li>selecting suitable particle size</li><li>ensuring inert surface chemistry and bio-inert hardware</li></ul>This enables optimal separation of a wide range of biologics.

How to Select the Right SEC Column for the Analysis of Biologics

<h4>The science behind gummy candies</h4>Who can resist colourful, fruity gummy candies 🍬 with their signature chewy and elastic texture? While they may appear simple, their formulation is actually quite sophisticated. Each gummy is produced using a precisely balanced combination of gelling agents, sugars, acids, flavourings, and colourants, all working together to deliver the desired taste and texture.For instance, the characteristic chewiness of gummy sweets results from the interaction between gelatin and sugars. Even minor adjustments—such as changing the type or concentration of the gelling agent—can significantly alter the final product. In addition, manufacturers must meet regulatory and labeling requirements, including certifications like Halal compliance. This makes accurate and consistent monitoring of ingredients essential throughout production.<h4>The importance of SEC fingerprinting</h4>Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), also known as Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), offers a fast and reliable way to analyze gummy formulations. By separating molecules according to their hydrodynamic size, SEC generates a unique molecular “fingerprint” for each product.This fingerprint enables manufacturers to:<ul><li>confirm the type and origin of gelling agents (e.g., for Halal verification)</li><li>ensure batch-to-batch consistency and detect production variations</li><li>monitor changes during storage to assess shelf life</li><li>evaluate low-molecular-weight compounds such as sugars in a semi-quantitative manner</li></ul>Overall, SEC fingerprinting supports consistent product quality and regulatory compliance, ensuring that every gummy maintains the same expected characteristics.<h4>Influence of column selection on SEC performance</h4>Column selection plays a crucial role in achieving high-quality separations and detailed molecular fingerprints. To illustrate this, porcine and bovine gelatin standards were analyzed using two different configurations:<ul><li>a single Multipore <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/1655">SuperOH-P column</a></li><li>a coupled system of SuperOH-P 350 and SuperOH-P 150 columns</li></ul>Although both setups cover the same molecular weight range (100–1,000,000 Da), the coupled configuration effectively doubles the separation length. This results in improved resolution, which was confirmed experimentally. The coupled columns provided clearer separation between porcine and bovine gelatin, producing more distinct and informative fingerprints.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Knauer_Fig_1_Overlay_chromatograms_measured_with_DAD_at_230_nm_20_L_d81181cfb4.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Fig. 1 Overlay chromatograms measured with DAD at 230 nm, 20 µL. Dark blue: porcine reference standard; red: bovine reference standard; solid line: measured with column A; dotted line: measured with column set B. Graphic by KNAUER." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Knauer_Fig_1_Overlay_chromatograms_measured_with_DAD_at_230_nm_20_L_d81181cfb4.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="611"><h4>Achieving reliable SEC fingerprints</h4>Reproducibility is key when using SEC for quality control. The process begins with consistent sample preparation—maintaining identical dissolution procedures, concentrations, and filtration steps is essential, as even small variations can influence peak shape and overall results.Beyond the column, the entire system setup is equally important. For example, combining a Refractive Index Detector (RID) with a Diode Array Detector (DAD) allows simultaneous detection of sugars, acids, and polymers within a single analysis.Accurate peak identification further enhances reliability. By analyzing reference standards based on known ingredient compositions, chromatographic peaks can be correctly assigned, enabling detailed interpretation of both high- and low-molecular-weight components.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Knauer_Fig_2_Zoom_overlay_chromatograms_measured_with_RID_20_L_and_column_set_B_37caf5ac59.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Fig. 2 Zoom overlay chromatograms measured with RID, 20 µL and column set B. Black: Katjes® Yoghurt Gums; turquoise: apple pectin diluted 1:10; dark green: preserving sugar 1:1 (sugar; citric acid; pectin; fully hydrogenated sunflower oil); dark blue: maltodextrin; pink: sodium potassium tartrate; yellow: potassium citrate; red: citric acid; purple: lactic acid; beige: lactose; orange: sucrose; green: glucose; grey: blank. Graphic by KNAUER. " srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Knauer_Fig_2_Zoom_overlay_chromatograms_measured_with_RID_20_L_and_column_set_B_37caf5ac59.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="611">Additionally, incorporating a flow marker helps correct for system-related variations, such as fluctuations in flow rate, thereby improving retention time stability and peak assignment accuracy. More details on the flow marker and its use in SEC are described in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/VTN_0043_knauer_gpc_sec_data_reproducibility_with_flow_marker_96ee6b3cd9.pdf">this technical note</a>.<h4>Verification of gelatin origin using SEC</h4>Determining the source of gelatin is critical for proper labeling and compliance, particularly for Halal-certified products where porcine gelatin is not permitted.To demonstrate SEC’s capability, two gummy samples with identical formulations but different gelatin sources were analyzed. One sample contained porcine gelatin, while the other used bovine gelatin. The resulting SEC fingerprints showed clear differences in the gelatin region, allowing unambiguous identification. The standard Haribo® Goldbears corresponded to the porcine reference, whereas the Halal version matched the bovine standard.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Knauer_Fig_3_Overlay_chromatograms_measured_with_DAD_at_230_nm_20_L_and_column_set_B_12e99a43e7.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Fig. 3 Overlay chromatograms measured with DAD at 230 nm, 20 µL and column set B. Solid dark blue line: Haribo® Goldbears; solid red line: Halal Haribo® Goldbears; dotted dark blue line: porcine reference standard; dotted red line: bovine reference standard. Graphic by KNAUER. " srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Knauer_Fig_3_Overlay_chromatograms_measured_with_DAD_at_230_nm_20_L_and_column_set_B_12e99a43e7.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="611"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/KNAUER_Fig_4_Overlay_chromatograms_measured_with_RID_20_L_and_column_set_B_2_c29ea59bc4.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Fig. 4 Overlay chromatograms measured with RID, 20 µL and column set B. Solid dark blue line: Haribo® Goldbears; solid red line: Halal Haribo® Goldbears; dotted dark blue line: porcine reference standard; dotted red line: bovine reference standard. Graphic by KNAUER." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_KNAUER_Fig_4_Overlay_chromatograms_measured_with_RID_20_L_and_column_set_B_2_c29ea59bc4.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1368" height="432">This confirms that SEC is a reliable method for distinguishing gelatin origin.<h4>Role of low-molecular-weight components</h4>In addition to polymers such as gelatin, SEC can also reveal smaller molecules, including sugars and organic acids. While SEC is not a replacement for fully validated HPLC methods, it serves as a rapid screening tool for comparing samples and supporting quality control.Using RID detection, differences in sugar composition become visible. For example, chromatograms showed a significantly higher sucrose signal in preserving sugar compared to gummy candies, reflecting formulation differences.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Knauer_Fig_5_Zoom_overlay_chromatograms_measured_with_RID_20_L_and_column_set_B_06c072e069.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Fig. 5 Zoom overlay chromatograms measured with RID, 20 µL and column set B. Black: sucrose 1mg/ml; blue: Haribo® Goldbears; green: preserving sugar 1:1 (sugar; citric acid; pectin; fully hydrogenated sunflower oil). Graphic by KNAUER." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Knauer_Fig_5_Zoom_overlay_chromatograms_measured_with_RID_20_L_and_column_set_B_06c072e069.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="611"><h4>Conclusion</h4>SEC is a powerful analytical technique for monitoring product quality and ensuring process consistency in gummy candy production. By generating detailed molecular fingerprints, it enables manufacturers to verify ingredients, maintain consistency, and comply with regulatory requirements.Importantly, this approach is not limited to gummy candies—it can be adapted to a wide range of products where molecular characterization is essential.<blockquote><ul><li>If you're planning to set up or optimize your GPC/SEC workflow, feel free to contact us at sales@knauer.net. Stay tuned for more exciting insights into the GPC/SEC world in our “GPC/SEC Made Easy” series.</li><li>For more information on the technical details, you can refer to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/VFD_0195_sec_for_fingerprint_analysis_of_gummy_candies_ce5349cd95.pdf">this application note.</a></li><li>For further information on this topic, please contact our author: wesolowski@knauer.net</li></ul></blockquote>

GPC/SEC Made Easy – Fingerprint analysis of Gummy Candies

News from LabRulezLCMS Library - Week 17, 2026

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Everything from the world of analytical chemistry in one place. We connect people in solving their problems. At Labrulez you will find all the necessary information easily, quickly and clearly. Stop searching and start finding.

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Based in Berlin, KNAUER is a medium-sized, owner-managed company that has been serving the sciences since 1962. We develop and manufacture scientific instruments of superior quality for liquid chromatography, including: Analytical HPLC/UHPLC, Preparative HPLC, Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC), Multi-column chromatography/Simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography. High pressure dosing, in-line detection systems, and osmometry are additional business areas.

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Waters Corporation

<ul>
<li>Wait what?! Who knew!? There are so many things that a mass spec can do.
</li>
<li>I&#39;ve used it for years, yes this may be true.
</li>
<li>I&#39;ve processed some samples, more than a few.
</li>
<li>But between me and you, I had no idea all the things it could do!
</li>
<li>From sample prep to separation, you just won&#39;t believe…
</li>
<li>All of the tips and tricks we have up our sleeve.
</li>
<li>So, take a few minutes, about 15 should do.
</li>
<li>And learn all the things your mass spec can do.
</li>
</ul>
SureMass, a novel data format for high resolution mass analyzers, offers better analysis speed and mass accuracy - even for high concentration or complex samples. This data format is derived from profile data and adapts to changes in experimental conditions to enhance obscured peaks, extend linear dynamic range, improve batch analysis speeds, and maintain trace detection with repeatability. These SureMass capabilities allow users to view quality peaks, fast and with accuracy. In this webinar SureMass conversion will be shown and examples of its speed and improved mass accuracy will be shared.
<blockquote>
Presenter: Cathyrin Simmermaker (LC/MS Applications Engineer, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Cate Simmermaker is an LC/MS Applications Engineer with Agilent Technologies working primarily with high-resolution mass spectrometry in small molecule analysis. Cate has worked in applications including metabolomics, food safety, and forensics on Q-TOF and QQQ platforms. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Chemistry from the University of the Pacific and received a Master’s in Biochemistry from San Francisco State University.
</blockquote>

Agilent Technologies: SureMass: Fast, Accurate, and Reproducible Data Processing

SureMass: Fast, Accurate, and Reproducible Data Processing

In this webinar SureMass conversion will be shown and examples of its speed and improved mass accuracy will be shared.

WEOF is back for 2023, and this time we will do it 100% virtually to allow even more people to participate. But don&#39;t expect to see only some presentations! We have put together for you an interesting agenda with Live Demos, customer talks, and the chance to ask our experts your questions. It will be a great opportunity to learn more about the advancements in oligonucleotide analysis and about the analytical challenges and successes of your peers.
<ul>
<li>Join our virtual Live Demos</li>
<li>Hear from other scientists like you about their approaches and experiences</li>
<li>Stay up to date with the latest analytical developments for nucleic acids</li>
</ul>
The agenda will be a mix of talks from the scientific community and Waters presentations. We will discuss current analytical needs and show some Live Demos of LC/MS solutions and software:
<h3>AGENDA</h3>
<h5>10:00 Welcome and Short Introduction</h5>
<ul>
<li>Speaker: David Muñoz (Waters Corporation)</li>
</ul>
<h5>10:05 Waters Live Demo: Impurity Analysis by LC/MS</h5>
<ul>
<li>Speaker: Emma L Harry (Waters Corporation)</li>
</ul>
<h5>10:25 Customer Talk: Cytiva Sweden AB</h5>
<h5>Analysis of Oligonucleotides using BioAccord LC-MS</h5>
<ul>
<li>Speaker: Filip Bergqvist (Senior Scientist)</li>
</ul>
Topic: intact analysis of oligonucleotides, specifically development/performance with IP-RPC
<h5>10:40 Customer Talk: BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH</h5>
<h5>QC Analytics for mRNA therapies</h5>
<ul>
<li>Speaker: Jonas Sander</li>
</ul>
Topic: How BioNTech has masterdto set up QC analytics for mRNQ therapies and the added value of Waters solutions
<h5>10:55 MaxPeak Premier Technology for Oligonucleotide Analysis</h5>
<ul>
<li>Speaker: Ali Tiss (Waters Corporation)</li>
</ul>
<h5>11:10 Waters Live Demo: Software</h5>
<h5>CONFIRM &amp; INTACT app</h5>
<ul>
<li>Speaker: Chris Knowles (Waters Corporation)</li>
</ul>
<h5>11:30 Q&amp;A with Waters</h5>
You ask - our application chemists answer
<h5>11:45 Closing</h5>
<h4>INVITED GUEST SPEAKER</h4>
<h5>Filip Bergqvist (Senior Scientist, Cytiva Sweden AB)</h5>
Filip is leading bioanalytical activities to support product development and application work for bioprocessing. His main expertise is LC-MS, where he is developing methods for characterization of proteins and nucleic acid therapeutics. 
<h5>Dr. Jonas Sander (BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH)</h5>
(further info will follow soon)
<h4>YOUR WATERS HOSTS</h4>
<h5>David Muñoz (Principal Biopharma Market Development Manager, Waters Corporation)</h5>
David will be your host for this event. He completed his PhD in Biochemistry at Nottingham Trent University, focused on the effects of toxins on glioma cells. After this he joined Lonza to work as a research and development scientist using different analytical techniques to characterize antibodies and proteins. Later he worked for Thermo Fisher Scientific as applications specialist and Biopharma Expert, and as business development manager in two CDMOs, focusing on antibodies and viral vector projects. David joined Waters in June 2022 as principal biopharma market development manager. 
<h5>Emma L Harry (European Applications Laboratory Team Manager, Waters Corporation)</h5>
Emma completed her PhD in Analytical Chemistry at Loughborough University, focused on the development of ion mobility mass spectrometry for complex mixtures.
After her post doctoral research at University of Leicester and having worked as analytical scientist at Hall Analytical, using a variety of analytical techniques, Emma joined Waters in June 2019 as a senior applications chemist in the Demo lab in Wilmslow. In 2021 she was promoted to European applications lab manager.
<h5>Chris Knowles (Senior Applications Scientist, Waters Corporation)</h5>
Chris is currently working as a Principal Domain Specialist (Applications science) at Waters, having been with the company for 5 years. He works with the Waters informatics teams to help deliver the waters_connect software applications. His focus has been on the CONFIRM Sequence application. His background is in Bioprocessing, having worked at FUJIFILM Diasynth Biotechnologies for 3 years as a principal scientist in Mammalian cell culture, following completion of a PhD in mammalian cell line engineering at the University of Aberdeen in 2016.
<h5>Ali Tiss (Sales Specialist Biopharma Chemistry, Europe South, Waters Corporation)</h5>
Ali completed his Ph.D. in biochemistry and structural biology at the Mediterranean University (CNRS, Marseille, France), where he contributed to the R&amp;D of the anti-obesity drug, Xenical®, developed by Roche Ltd. Then, he spent about 20 years of academic research (France, UK, Kuwait) in biochemistry, liquid chromatography, mass-spectrometry, and proteomics, focusing on detecting and characterizing biomarkers related to human diseases (cancer, diabetes, obesity). Ali joined Waters in October 2021 as a BioPharma and New Modalities Specialist in Chemistry for Southern Europe.

Waters Corporation: Waters European Oligonucleotides Forum 2023

Waters European Oligonucleotides Forum 2023

We have put together for you an interesting agenda with Live Demos, customer talks, and the chance to ask our experts your questions. 

Many labs are faced with an ever-increasing sample load, while instrumentation and resources remain at a steady level. As a consequence, instrument throughput and uptime are critical factors to maintain competitiveness and productivity.
Learn how you can meet these challenges with the newest innovations in triple quadrupole LC/MS and quadrupole time-of-flight LC/MS from Agilent. With these new LC/MS systems, high performance and data quality are matched with ease of use via intuitive and unified interfaces, allowing users to easily switch between instrument types with minimal effort. Learn how instrument intelligence features such as AI-based tuning, instrument telemetry (early maintenance feedback), and Intelligent Reflex for automated secondary injection logic help users maximize instrument capability for increased lab efficiency. Examples of complete workflows demonstrating performance, robustness, and throughput for food safety screening applications are shown with LC/Q-TOF, while targeted multi-omics applications will be shown on LC/TQ.
Key learning objectives:
<ul>
<li>Gaining time-saving efficiencies and meeting future challenges with instrument intelligence</li>
<li>Implementing end-to-end workflows of LC/TQ in targeted omics and LC/Q-TOF in food safety to produce meaningful results</li>
<li>Advancing capabilities with a complementary solution for omics workflows to analyze your most complex samples</li>
</ul>
Who should attend:
<ul>
<li>Lab managers</li>
<li>Principle investigators</li>
<li>Senior scientists</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Christian Klein, PhD (Product Manager LC/Q-TOF, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
With an education in chemistry, Chris Klein received his PhD in 2005 at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, working on membrane proteins and mass spectrometry. After postdoctoral research and three years as a demo chemist and product specialist with Bruker Daltonics, Chris joined the Agilent LC/Q-TOF research and development team in 2010. Since 2018, he has been the LC/Q-TOF and IM-QTOF product manager.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Patrick Batoon (Product Manager LC/TQ, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Patrick is the full-scope product manager of Agilent triple quadrupole LC/MS portfolio, overseeing product development and commercialization. He was formerly an R&amp;D chemist within the LC/MS quadrupole group and has a background in ion chemistry and fundamental mass spectrometry.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Ian Edwards (LC/TQ Product Manager, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Ian holds a Ph.D. from the Centre for Proteome Research at the University of Liverpool.He has spent time as a pre- and post-sales MS applications specialist focused on MS imaging and proteomics, as a field marketing manager for -omics, and as a global pharmaceutical marketing manager. Ian joined Agilent recently as LC/TQ Product Manager.
</blockquote>

Agilent Technologies: Revealing the New Intelligent LC/MS Solutions from Agilent

Revealing the New Intelligent LC/MS Solutions from Agilent

Learn how you can meet actual challenges with the newest innovations in triple quadrupole LC/MS and quadrupole time-of-flight LC/MS from Agilent.

Identifying fentanyl analogs and other novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in the recreational drug market poses a significant analytical challenge for forensic toxicology laboratories.
In this webinar, two expert speakers will showcase how accurate mass diagnostic fragments of fentanyl and other analogs can be utilized to identify new fentanyl analog biomarkers. They will demonstrate the efficiency and simplicity of SCIEX Molecule Profiler software as a comprehensive and user-friendly platform for identifying novel metabolites, precursors and impurities of emerging drugs.
Attend this webinar to learn about:
<ul>
<li>The challenges associated with the identification of fentanyl analogs and other NPS emerging on the recreational drug market</li>
<li>The use of accurate mass diagnostic fragments for the identification of drug biomarkers</li>
<li>The streamlined process of identifying drug biomarkers using diagnostic fragment screening with SCIEX Molecule Profiler software</li>
<li>The benefits of this approach for the identification of novel metabolites, precursors and impurities of emerging new drugs</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Dr. Aaron Stella (R&amp;D Scientist, SCIEX)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Dr. Karl Oetjen (Senior Scientist, Technical Marketing, SCIEX)
</blockquote>

Uncovering Novel Psychoactive Substance Biomarkers Using Diagnostic Fragment Screening

We will showcase how accurate mass diagnostic fragments of fentanyl and other analogs can be utilized to identify new fentanyl analog biomarkers.

NPS Biomarkers Using Diagnostic Fragment Screening

Data independent acquisition (DIA) allows for suspect screening in complex matrices with retroactive analysis capabilities important to emerging compounds of interest in food safety. However, with increased analyte scope, the review of questionable identifications can create an analysis burden requiring timely review and reinjections.
Here we present a robust DIA methodology with a novel prototype LC/Q-TOF, leveraging a combination of high-resolution, extended dynamic range, stable accurate mass, and isotopic fidelity with coeluting fragmentation ions for identification, analyzed with MH Quantitative Analysis 12.1 and LC Screener Tool.
Over 200 analytes were identified from a spiked broccoli matrix prepared with QuEChERS, resulting in good calibration curve linearity and low area %RSDs. Fused, is the Intelligent Reflex Workflow used to automatically evaluate and reinject samples in which results were flagged as questionable and/or identified, via targeted MS/MS utilizing the available m/z and RT information. Transferring questionable results into confirmed identifications by acquiring targeted data for present compounds. Leveraging the combination of DIA and automatically enabled targeted MS/MS reinjections via Intelligent Reflex allows for broad screening analysis and confident identification confirmation of analytes.
<blockquote>
Presenter: Cathyrin Simmermaker (LC/MS Applications Engineer, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Cate Simmermaker is an LC/MS Applications Engineer with Agilent Technologies working primarily with high-resolution mass spectrometry in small molecule analysis. Cate has worked in applications including metabolomics, food safety, and forensics on Q-TOF and QQQ platforms. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Chemistry from the University of the Pacific and received a Master’s in Biochemistry from San Francisco State University.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Christian Klein, PhD (Product Manager LC/Q-TOF, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
With an education in chemistry, Chris Klein received his PhD in 2005 at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, working on membrane proteins and mass spectrometry. After postdoctoral research and three years as a demo chemist and product specialist with Bruker Daltonics, Chris joined the Agilent LC/Q-TOF research and development team in 2010. Since 2018, he has been the LC/Q-TOF and IM-QTOF product manager.
</blockquote>

Agilent Technologies: From Screening to Confirmation: A Comprehensive Food Safety Analysis from Initial DIA Screening to Automatic Reinjection for Suspect Confirmation

From Screening to Confirmation: A Comprehensive Food Safety Analysis from Initial DIA Screening to Automatic Reinjection for Suspect Confirmation

Here we present a robust DIA methodology with a novel prototype LC/Q-TOF.

From Screening to Confirmation: Food Safety Analysis

<h3>Part 1: Overview of Agilent Biopharma</h3>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Mike Knierman (Biopharma Workflow Manager, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
</blockquote>
<h3>Part 2: Analytical Innovations to Speed-up Antibody Characterization</h3>
The characterization biotherapeutics is essential to assess their safety, quality, and efficacy. In this presentation, we show novel technologies that can address the growing demand for comprehensive and faster characterization of multi-specific antibodies. In the first example, Mobile Affinity Selection Chromatography is used to rapidly assess antibody titer and aggregation levels of crude culture filtrate. We take advantage of this method for unbiased analysis of mispaired chains and aggregates directly from culture supernatants obviating a protein A clean-up step. We show fast aggregate and titer molecular structure quantifications without sample preparation can be achieved with multi-sampler overlapped injections, dramatically improving analysis throughput (~ 2.5 min per sample) without carryover. In the second example, mAb digestion process (&gt; 30 min) is accelerated on the surface of microdroplets (&lt;1 ms) (Anal. Chem., 2021, 93, 3997-4005). We show automated microdroplet reactions under native-pH conditions by combining programmed flow injection with a JetStream ionization source. Intact subunit mass analysis and middle-down characterization of antibody subunits are completed every 2 min. (Anal. Chem., 2023, 95, 3340-3348). Finally, we propose droplet reactions every 2-4 seconds per antibody sample using RapidFire BLAZE mode for ultrafast sample introduction and digestion. We envision, that these analytical innovations will enable comprehensive and faster analysis of biotherapeutics.
<blockquote>
Presenter: Harsha Gunawardena, Ph.D. (Senior Scientist, Mass Spectrometry, Janssen Research &amp; Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson &amp; Johnson)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Harsha Gunawardena obtained his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University and a Master of Science degree in Analytical Chemistry from University of North Carolina. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the Lineberger comprehensive cancer center, UNC school of medicine where his research focused on refining quantitative platforms for large-scale clinical proteomics and proteogenomic analysis. He was a co-investigator for the NCI clinical proteomics tumor analysis consortium (CPTAC), the ENCODE consortium. His industry career as scientist started at Bayer Health Care providing mass spectrometry and bioanalytical support of plasma-based therapeutics. He later worked at Amgen applying proteomics methods to support biomarker programs and discovery programs in oncology and inflammation. In his current role at Janssen R&amp;D, Johnson &amp; Johnson, he supports discovery early development programs that span several therapeutic modalities.
</blockquote>
<h3>Part 3: Towards the Absolute Quantitation of the Human Proteome: Next Generation of Absolute Protein Quantitation in Biological Matrixes; Higher Multiplexicity While Faster, Robust and Sensitive</h3>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Christoph Borchers, Ph.D. (Professor, Department Oncology, McGill University; CSO, MRM Proteomics)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Professor in the Department of Oncology at McGill University, and holds the Segal Chair in Molecular Oncology. His research involves proteomics and metabolomics technologies for clinical diagnostics and structural proteomics. He is also head of a newly established Omics laboratory for personalized medicine and health at Skoltech, Moscow, Russia.
</blockquote>

Accelerating Analysis in the BioPharma Laboratory

Overview of Agilent Biopharma. Analytical Innovations to Speed-up Antibody Characterization. Absolute Protein Quantitation in Biological Matrixes.

Recent technological advancements have greatly expanded the options for high-quality mass spectrometry equipment. With significant progress in GC-MS, LC-MS, and gas generators, critical analyses can now be conducted with enhanced effectiveness and efficiency.
Join our technical webinar to gain a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge MS equipment and the latest innovations in utilizing hydrogen as a carrier gas. Discover the advancements, including Agilent&#39;s quadrupole time-of-flight LC-MS and PEAK Scientific&#39;s nitrogen gas generator, designed to optimize competitiveness and productivity in your analytical workflows.
<h5>Attend this webinar to:</h5>
<ul>
<li>Learn about why there is a huge drive to switch to hydrogen as a carrier gas for GC</li>
<li>Discover how to achieve time-saving efficiencies and meet future challenges with instrument intelligence using the latest quadrupole time-of-flight LC-MS</li>
<li>Understand how a gas generator can save you time and money as well as improve your lab’s sustainability</li>
</ul>
<h3>1. Novel Mass Spectrometry Technologies Expand Future of Biomarker Discovery Research</h3>
<ul>
<li>Diane Turner (Director and Senior Consultant, Anthias Consulting Ltd)</li>
</ul>
Gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) instruments are used for a wide variety of critical analyses and presents a topic of growing importance as the industry collectively moves away from helium as a carrier gas due to availability and pricing to suitable alternatives such as hydrogen.
In this webinar, Dr. Diane Turner from Anthias Consulting Ltd will focus on the innovations around using hydrogen as a carrier gas and explore the associated benefits as well as address the challenges involved.
<h5>In his talk, she will cover:</h5>
<ul>
<li>Why there is a huge drive to switch to hydrogen as a carrier gas for GC</li>
<li>The associated benefits and negatives of using hydrogen</li>
<li>A ‘to do’ list of parameters to re-optimize when switching to hydrogen</li>
</ul>
<h3>2. Be Ready for Future Challenges With an Intelligent LC-MS Solution</h3>
<ul>
<li>Christian Klein (Product Manager LC/Q-TOF and IM-QTOF, Agilent Technologies)</li>
</ul>
Many labs are faced with an ever-increasing sample load, while instrumentation and resources remain at a steady level. As a consequence, instrument throughput and uptime are critical factors to maintain competitiveness and productivity.
In this webinar, Dr. Christian Klein will show how you can meet these challenges with the newest time-of-flight LC-MS from Agilent. See examples of complete workflows demonstrating performance, robustness and throughput for food safety screening applications.
<h5>In his talk, he will cover:</h5>
<ul>
<li>Time-saving efficiencies and meeting future challenges with instrument intelligence</li>
<li>How to implement end-to-end workflows for food safety to produce meaningful results</li>
<li>How to identify and quickly assess compounds in question</li>
</ul>
<h3>3. How Can a Gas Generator Benefit Your Lab?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Petra Gierga (Product Manager, PEAK Scientific)</li>
</ul>
Labs face challenges every day and lab gas should not be one of these problems. On-site gas generators play a pivotal role in helping labs to streamline workflows while providing high-quality gas for LC-MS analysis.
In this webinar, Petra Gierga from PEAK Scientific will be discussing the benefits a gas generator can provide your lab over cylinders, dewars or bulk supply. Removing the need for repeated cylinder deliveries, cylinder contracts, manual handling and changing of cylinders – an in-house gas generator can reduce costs, increase productivity and improve your lab’s sustainability efforts.
<h5>In this talk, she will cover:</h5>
<ul>
<li>How a gas generator can save you time</li>
<li>The economic benefits of using a gas generator</li>
<li>The advantages a gas generator has for your labs workflows and long-term sustainability goals</li>
</ul>

Technology Networks: Breaking the Boundaries: The Latest Innovations in Mass Spectrometry

Breaking the Boundaries: The Latest Innovations in Mass Spectrometry

Technical webinar: overview of cutting-edge MS equipment and the latest innovations in utilizing H2 as a carrier gas, LC/Q-TOF or N2 gas generators.

The Latest Innovations in Mass Spectrometry

First of all, Lakshmanan Deenadayalan will present a sensitive method for the quantification of formoterol – a drug used to treat asthma and COPD – in human plasma.
Then, Eshani Nandita will introduce a sensitive multiplexed quantification of two commonly co-administered mAbs using the ZenoTOF 7600 system with SCIEX OS software.
Finally, Ian Moore will show us how to achieve increased sensitivity for quantification in complex matrices using the SCIEX 7500 system.
At the end of the presentations, you will be able to interact with the speakers and ask any questions.
Attend this webinar to:
<ul>
<li>Meet front-end technology that improves your quantitative mass spectrometry methods</li>
<li>Achieve ultra-low quantification levels for compounds in human plasma using a simple liquid-liquid extraction sample preparation</li>
<li>Reach LLOQs of 0.15 µg/mL for the quantification of monoclonal antibodies in human serum with a QTOF instrument</li>
<li>Explore lower dosage, higher efficacy compounds and improve the efficiency of bioanalysis in negative mode</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Ian Moore (Senior Technical Product Manager, Nominal Mass SCIEX)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Lakshmanan Deenadayalan (Application Support Specialist, Indian Innovation Center (IIC) SCIEX)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Eshani Nandita (Global Biopharma Quant Tech Marketing Lead, SCIEX)
</blockquote>

Pixabay/Gerd Altmann: Inside the Tech Note: The Story Behind the Data

Inside the Tech Note: The Story Behind the Data

In this webinar, hear three LC/MS Tech Note authors present their work and explain the genesis of their research.

The main goal of metabolic profiling is to understand the metabolic changes that occur in response to specific stimuli, such as diseases, environmental factors, drugs, or genetic modifications.
By comparing the metabolic profiles of healthy and diseased samples, researchers can identify unique metabolic signatures associated with specific conditions.
These biomarkers can be potentially valuable for the early detection of disease, monitoring treatment response, and understanding disease mechanisms. In this webinar Dr. Gómez-Romero at the NPC, London, discusses how they undertake large scale metabolic phenotyping studies and the opportunities and challenges they face. 
This webinar focuses on:
<ul>
<li>What is metabolic phenotyping?
</li>
<li>The workflow for large-scale LC/MS based metabolomic
</li>
<li>Experimental design for untargeted biomarker discovery
</li>
</ul>
Key learning objectives:
<ul>
<li>The importance of study design in large-scale metabolomic phenotyping 
</li>
<li>How platform stability increases confidence in results 
</li>
<li>How to maximize metabolomic phenotyping data from LC/MS experiments
</li>
</ul>
Who should attend:
<ul>
<li>Scientists in academia, industry, core research laboratories and biomedical research
</li>
<li>Researchers undertaking metabolomic and lipidomic experiments particularly those conducting large scale experiments
</li>
<li>Anyone with an interest in mass spectrometry who wants to learn more
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Dr María Gómez- Romero (Mass Spectrometry and Chromatography Manager, MRC-NIHR National Phenome Centre, Imperial College London, UK)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
As LC-MS platform lead in the National Phenome Centre (NPC) at Imperial College London (ICL), Maria oversees the application of mature LC-MS methods and technologies to collaborative projects, ensuring timely completion of the ongoing project deliverables. Her primary research interest focuses on the development, validation and application of profiling and targeted UHPLC-MS methodologies in metabolic phenotyping for the analysis of biological samples (e.g. urine, blood products, faecal and tissue extracts, cells,) with epidemiological and clinical applications.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Maria studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Granada (UGR, Spain) completing her final year design project in University College London. Upon completing her BSc she undertook an MSc in Chemistry and Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at UGR. In 2011 she started working at ICL as a research associate until 2017, when she joined NPC.
</blockquote>

Waters Corporation: ASMS 2023: Metabolic profiling, mass spectrometry and the National Phenome Centre

ASMS 2023: Metabolic profiling, mass spectrometry and the National Phenome Centre

How to undertake large scale metabolic phenotyping studies and the opportunities and challenges you face.

ASMS 2023: Metabolic profiling, mass spectrometry

This webinar introduces an analytical method that utilizes ion-exchange chromatography to separate and analyze oligonucleotides of different lengths.
The primary focus is on eliminating impurities that are produced during the synthesis process. The method incorporates an inert ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography system, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and automated data analysis software. These components work together to facilitate efficient oligonucleotide development and quality control. The results emphasize the challenges associated with metal-based methods and propose a metal-free approach for precise quantification. Additionally, a high-resolution ion-pair reversed-phase LC-MS system is presented for accurate separation and mass analysis of oligonucleotides. The developed method also offers sensitive, precise, and reproducible results, making it an invaluable tool for various scientific fields, including therapeutic oligonucleotide-based drug development and quality control.
<blockquote>
Presenter: Mridul Mandal, Ph.D.
</blockquote>

Shimadzu: Oligonucleotide Analysis by LC and LC and LC-MS

Oligonucleotide Analysis by LC and LC and LC-MS

Analytical method that utilizes ion-exchange chromatography to separate and analyze oligonucleotides of different lengths.

LCMS webinars focusing on LC/TOF - page 25