<div>Mulching films used in agriculture gradually break down and can become a significant source of microplastics in soils. A new study shows that these particles affect not only soil structure but also microbial life and nitrogen cycling.“We wanted to understand how microplastics from both conventional and biodegradable mulching films influence soil properties, microbial diversity and functions in real conditions,” explains Klára Šmídová, the study’s co-author . “That’s why we added realistic amounts of microplastics to soils in experimental plots in Finland, Germany, and Spain, monitored them over two growing seasons, and compared them with the control plots.”The results revealed that microplastics alter soil characteristics and microbial communities, although not always in the same way. “ However, a consistent finding was the decline in microbial activity associated with key processes, including nitrogen cycling, with negative effects increasing at higher microplastic concentrations and becoming more pronounced in the second year,” Šmídová adds. Because the microplastic levels used in the study reflect amounts already found in European soils, the findings highlight real risks to soil health. “We also found that the effects were stronger in southern than in northern Europe, likely due to differences in climate and soil conditions. This means that protecting soils from plastic pollution will require region-specific risk assessments,” she says.Over 60% of European soils are estimated to be unhealthy, with ongoing degradation driven by unsustainable land use, contamination, climate change, and extreme weather events. In response, the EU Parliament adopted the Soil Monitoring Law in October 2025, aiming to achieve healthy soils across Europe by 2050. “The law highlights the role of soil health in food security, water quality, and climate objectives, and establishes consistent soil monitoring across Member States. It includes measures to support farmers and foresters, while also creating a public list of potentially contaminated sites and an indicative watch list of emerging soil contaminants,” explains Klára Šmídová.The project brought together 19 research groups across Europe. “After each season, hundreds of samples were colle cted and sent to partners for analysis. This paper focuses on soil properties, microbial diversity, and greenhouse gas emissions. Two more manuscripts—on plastic additives and microplastic fate, and on soil invertebrates—are in preparation. Together, they will give us a complete picture of how agricultural microplastics affect soil ecosystems,” concludes Klára Šmídová.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/RECETOX_Vysledky_nove_studie_ukazaly_ze_mikroplasty_meni_vlastnosti_pudy_a_mikrobialni_spolecenstva_i_v_realnych_podminkach_6ee3413a7b.jpg" alt="RECETOX: New Study Reveals How Agricultural Plastics Impact Soil Health In Real Conditions" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_RECETOX_Vysledky_nove_studie_ukazaly_ze_mikroplasty_meni_vlastnosti_pudy_a_mikrobialni_spolecenstva_i_v_realnych_podminkach_6ee3413a7b.jpg 171w," sizes="100vw" width="738" height="674"><blockquote><h4>The Original article</h4><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749125015866?via%3Dihub#sec2">Conventional and biodegradable agricultural microplastics: effects on soil properties and microbial functions across a European pedoclimatic gradient</a></h4>Šmídová K., Soinne H., Kim S. W., Tirronniemi J., Meffe R., Redondo-Hasselerharm P. E., Braun M., Rillig M. C., Fritze H., Adamczyk B., Nikama J., Kaseva J., Saartama V., Amelung W., Hurley R., Hofman J., Nizzetto L., Selonen S., Velmala S.Environ. Pollut. 386 (2025) 127212<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127212">10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127212</a><h6>licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC-BY 4.0</a></h6></blockquote><h4>Abstract</h4><div>Agricultural plastics like mulching films may become a major source of microplastic (MP) soil contamination during their degradation and fragmentation. This study investigates the effects of agricultural MPs from conventional (linear low-density polyethylene, PE) and biodegradable (starch-blended polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate, PBAT-BD) mulching films on soil physicochemical properties, aggregation, microbial diversity and functions, litter decomposition, and greenhouse gases emissions (GHG). For this purpose, MPs were mixed into soils at realistic MP concentrations of 0.005&nbsp;% and 0.05&nbsp;% (w/w) in 2022 on experimental plots in three EU countries representing different pedoclimatic conditions (Finland, Germany and Spain), followed by monitoring of the above-mentioned variables in the subsequent growing seasons 2022 and 2023. We found several significant MP-induced effects for soil properties, aggregation, microbial diversity, litter decomposition, and GHG, but the effect endpoints were less pronounced or varied considerably. Contrarily, microbial activity, contributing to soil functions such as nitrogen cycling, was consistently reduced by both conventional and biodegradable MPs. The reductions were more pronounced after the second season and for the higher MP treatment. As the higher MP concentration (i.e., 0.05&nbsp;% w/w) is environmentally relevant in Europe, our findings emphasize the potential effects of environmentally relevant MP concentrations on soil health. Furthermore, the effects increased from north to south, probably modulated by varying pedoclimatic conditions, inducing reflection of a need for regionally tailored risk</div></div>

New Study Reveals How Agricultural Plastics Impact Soil Health In Real Conditions

<h3>Charged for Action: The Hidden Secrets of AEX Oligonucleotide Analysis</h3>Oligonucleotides—short, well-defined fragments of DNA or RNA—have become indispensable tools in modern life sciences. They underpin cutting-edge applications in molecular diagnostics, gene therapy, and pharmaceutical development. Before oligonucleotides can be confidently used in research or clinical settings, however, their quality must be rigorously assessed. Purity, sequence integrity, length distribution, and chemical modifications all play a decisive role in their performance.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_2_45eee54fa0.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Oligos Made Easy - Part 2: AEX" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_2_45eee54fa0.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1534" height="711">Among the analytical techniques available today, anion exchange chromatography (AEX) stands out as a robust and highly informative method for characterizing oligonucleotides. By exploiting their intrinsic negative charge, AEX provides detailed insight into product composition and impurity profiles that are difficult to obtain by other approaches.<blockquote><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/article/6808">Part 1 of the Oligos series: A Practical Guide to Oligonucleotide Production – From Concept to Final Product</a></blockquote><h4>How Scientists Read Oligonucleotides Using Charge</h4>At the core of AEX lies a simple but powerful principle: oligonucleotides carry a negatively charged phosphate backbone. This charge increases in a predictable way with strand length and, to a lesser extent, sequence composition. Anion exchange chromatography uses this property to separate oligonucleotides based on differences in charge strength and interaction with a positively charged stationary phase.As a result, AEX has become one of the most widely used analytical tools for evaluating oligonucleotide quality. It allows scientists to distinguish full-length products from truncated species, degradation products, or closely related variants—often with single-nucleotide resolution.<h4>Why Ion Exchange Works: Binding, Retention, and Release</h4>Ion exchange chromatography (IEX) relies on electrostatic interactions between analytes and a charged stationary phase. In the case of oligonucleotides, anion exchange is used, where negatively charged molecules interact with positively charged functional groups on the resin—most commonly quaternary amines.The system consists of two main components:<ul><li>Stationary phase: A positively charged resin that binds anionic analytes.</li><li>Mobile phase: An aqueous buffer system, typically combined with a salt gradient, that controls both pH and elution strength.</li></ul>Retention in AEX is governed primarily by charge. Molecules with weaker overall charge interact less strongly with the stationary phase and elute earlier, while more highly charged oligonucleotides bind more tightly and require stronger elution conditions.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_Figure_1_IEX_overview_including_elution_order_dependency_on_analyte_charge_3419ad3075.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Oligos Made Easy - Part 2 AEX: Figure 1 IEX overview including elution order dependency on analyte charge." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_Figure_1_IEX_overview_including_elution_order_dependency_on_analyte_charge_3419ad3075.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1583" height="654"><h4>The Five-Step Workflow of Ion Exchange Chromatography</h4>AEX separations generally follow a well-established sequence of steps:<ol><li>Column equilibration The column is conditioned with the starting buffer until the baseline and pH are stable. This ensures that all charged sites on the resin are ready for interaction.</li><li>Sample loading Samples, prepared in the starting buffer, are introduced under conditions that promote binding of the target oligonucleotides while minimizing retention of unwanted impurities.</li><li>Washing The column is washed with the starting buffer to remove uncharged or weakly interacting components. The baseline stabilizes as these species are flushed away.</li><li>Elution Bound oligonucleotides are released using a salt or pH gradient. Increasing ionic strength introduces competing ions that displace the analytes from the resin. Weakly bound species elute first; strongly charged oligonucleotides elute later.</li><li>Regeneration and re-equilibration A high-salt buffer removes any remaining bound material. The column is then returned to starting conditions in preparation for the next analysis.</li></ol><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_Figure_2_Five_steps_of_IEX_procedure_in_blue_outlined_using_an_example_chromatogram_in_red_38dd70b1b1.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Oligos Made Easy - Part 2 AEX: Figure 2 Five steps of IEX procedure (in blue), outlined using an example chromatogram (in red)." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_Figure_2_Five_steps_of_IEX_procedure_in_blue_outlined_using_an_example_chromatogram_in_red_38dd70b1b1.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1583" height="674"><h4>Why AEX Is Especially Effective for Oligonucleotides</h4>The repeating phosphate backbone of oligonucleotides gives rise to a strong and uniform anionic character across a wide pH range (typically pH 7–9). This makes oligonucleotides exceptionally well suited for anion exchange separations.Key factors influencing AEX behavior include:<ul><li>Charge density: Longer oligonucleotides carry more negative charges and therefore exhibit stronger retention.</li><li>Resin chemistry: Strong and weak anion exchangers differ in functional groups and pH stability, influencing selectivity and robustness.</li><li>Buffer composition: The choice of buffering ions and salt gradients directly affects elution strength and resolution.</li></ul>Salt gradients—commonly based on chloride ions—compete with the oligonucleotide backbone for binding sites on the resin. By carefully tuning gradient slope and composition, analysts can achieve highly reproducible and finely resolved separations.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_Figure_3_Ionic_interactions_and_p_H_influence_on_Anion_Exchange_Chromatography_AEX_612e231ba4.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Oligos Made Easy - Part 2 AEX: Figure 3 Ionic interactions and pH influence on Anion Exchange Chromatography (AEX)." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_Figure_3_Ionic_interactions_and_p_H_influence_on_Anion_Exchange_Chromatography_AEX_612e231ba4.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1547" height="593"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_Figure_4_AEX_buffer_selection_and_gradient_strategy_chromatogram_with_red_buffer_gradient_curve_53fd1bb11b.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Oligos Made Easy - Part 2 AEX: Figure 4 AEX buffer selection and gradient strategy (chromatogram with red buffer gradient curve)." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_Figure_4_AEX_buffer_selection_and_gradient_strategy_chromatogram_with_red_buffer_gradient_curve_53fd1bb11b.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1600" height="327"><h4>AEX as the Gold Standard for Oligonucleotide Separation</h4>Anion exchange chromatography has become the method of choice for both analytical and preparative oligonucleotide workflows. Its advantages include:<ul><li>High resolving power: Closely related impurities, including n–1 or n–2 species, can often be separated and quantified.</li><li>Predictable retention behavior: In many cases, retention time correlates linearly with oligonucleotide length, simplifying identification.</li><li>Compatibility with modified oligonucleotides: Even chemically modified sequences retain their anionic nature, allowing AEX to resolve both products and related impurities.</li><li>Excellent control via gradient elution: Salt gradients provide precise tuning of selectivity and resolution.</li></ul>Typically, shorter or degraded oligonucleotides elute at lower ionic strength, while full-length products with higher charge density appear later in the chromatogram.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_Figure_5_AEX_Advantages_and_Challenges_7835521e34.jpg" alt="KNAUER: Oligos Made Easy - Part 2 AEX: Figure 5 AEX Advantages and Challenges." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_KNAUER_Oligos_Made_Easy_Part_2_AEX_Figure_5_AEX_Advantages_and_Challenges_7835521e34.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1535" height="707"><h4>Final Perspective: Mastering AEX with Confidence</h4>Anion exchange chromatography may appear complex at first, but with thoughtful optimization of pH, buffer composition, and gradient conditions, it becomes a highly precise and reliable tool for oligonucleotide analysis. When properly applied, AEX delivers sharp peaks, excellent resolution, and robust performance—even for challenging sequences and modifications.For laboratories developing or refining oligonucleotide workflows, AEX offers both analytical depth and operational confidence.<blockquote>If you would like to discuss AEX method development or optimization for oligonucleotides, feel free to contact us at sales@knauer.net. More insights into practical oligonucleotide analysis will follow in our “Oligos Made Easy” series.For technical questions or in-depth discussion, the author can be reached at kindler@knauer.net</blockquote>

Oligos Made Easy - Part 2: AEX

News from LabRulezLCMS Library - Week 07, 2026

Article

Application

Plastics

Environment

Science and research

Poster

RECETOX (Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment) is an independent department of the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University in Brno, which has been established in 1983. RECETOX is focused on the research and education in cross-cutting area of Environment and Health. It addresses interactions among chemicals, environment, and biological systems, including consequences at local, regional, and global levels.

RECETOX - Centrum pro výzkum toxických látek v prostředí

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.

LabRulez

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.

KNAUER

Agilent Technologies

Technology Networks

ACD/Labs

OpenLab CDS contains a very powerful reporting engine built on the industry standard of Microsoft’s Business Intelligence Studio. It affords an opportunity to create customized reports that minimize or eliminates a laboratory’s dependence on excel. This session will introduce users to the types of reports Agilent includes with the software, along with how to customize those reports to include your own calculations.
<blockquote>
Presenter: Richard Mutkoski (Laboratory Informatics Application Engineer, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Richard Mutkoski began with Agilent (HP) in 1995. He has been an Application Engineer in Agilent’s Laboratory Informatics for the past 16 years. Prior to his career at Agilent Rich spent 12 years in a variety of small pharmaceutical firms in both R&amp;D and QA/QC capacities affording him first-hand knowledge of those workflows, bottlenecks and challenges.
</blockquote>

Agilent Technologies: Introduction to OpenLab CDS Custom Reporting

Introduction to OpenLab CDS Custom Reporting

This demonstration will concentrate on the enhanced workflows and capabilities of OpenLab CDS.
<h3>During this 1-hour session you will:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Learn about the function and advantages of the new control panel including creating instruments, creating projects, activity logs, storage types and paths.</li>
<li>Explore the basic operations of user privileges including assigning permissions and roles, and license utilities.</li>
<li>Learn the basics of how to setup instruments, methods and sequences.</li>
<li>Explore the enhanced data processing workflow including auto and manual integration, e-signatures and audit trail review</li>
<li>Discover uses for the Custom Calculator and its functionality</li>
<li>Learn how to customize reports with the Intelligent Reporter to generate calculations without to use of Excel</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Richard Mutkoski (Application Engineer, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Richard Mutkoski began with Agilent (HP) in 1995. He has been an Application Engineer in Agilent’s Laboratory Informatics for the past 16 years. Prior to his career at Agilent Rich spent 12 years in a variety of small pharmaceutical firms in both R&amp;D and QA/QC capacities affording him first-hand knowledge of those workflows, bottlenecks and challenges.
</blockquote>

Agilent Technologies: OpenLab CDS Introductory Demonstration

OpenLab CDS Introductory Demonstration

The Control Panel is the gatekeeper to the system.
<ul>
<li>Learn how to enable authentication to allow chemist names to be placed on reports. </li>
<li>See how to configure system in a compliant environment and restrict users’ access to instruments and data. </li>
<li>Understand the use of Roles and Privileges to refine what users can do. </li>
<li>Understand the need, creation and use of Projects. </li>
<li>Explore how to set-up an Acquisition Method for a Virtual 3D HPLC and a Virtual 7890 GC. </li>
<li>Explore the software features that have been designed to help minimize sequence creation time and eliminate costly typographical errors.</li>
</ul>

Agilent Technologies: OpenLab CDS Virtual Masterclass Series

OpenLab CDS Virtual Masterclass Series Session 1 - The Control Panel and Data Acquisition

<h3>Webinar Summary</h3>
Often there is a natural trade-off between IT demands, such as reducing the number of different systems in use (standardization) or leveraging modern technologies (like cloud), and the increased productivity and compliance demands for your laboratory.
This compromise is now over. Learn how Thermo Scientific™ Chromeleon™ 7.3 Chromatography Data System (CDS) is the first CDS to truly meet the needs of both the IT and infrastructure team and the laboratory.
Now you can standardize without compromise with global deployment, system stability and data security, and still realize significant laboratory productivity gains!
<h3>Attend this webinar to learn how Chromeleon™ 7.3 CDS:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Can deliver productivity gains of up to a third</li>
<li>Leverages modern IT technologies to ensures business continuity and streamlining in deployment and leveraging modern IT technologies</li>
<li>Offers new features that will be invaluable to your lab</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Darren Barrington-Light, Senior Manager Product Marketing, Thermo Fisher Scientific™
</blockquote>

Technology Networks: The New No-compromise Enterprise CDS Solution

The New No-compromise Enterprise CDS Solution

Improvements in mass spectrometry have generated an increasing demand for analysis of more complicated samples by mass spectrometry (MS). While liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) are effective at reducing sample complexity, co-elution of components is still not entirely avoidable. The reality of today&#39;s lab is:
<ul>
<li>A variety of instrument configurations and a multitude of software interfaces</li>
<li>Mountains of complex data for analysis</li>
</ul>
Struggle no more!
Join us to learn how vendor-neutral software can help you deformulate samples more efficiently leveraging knowledge from both the wider scientific community and your organization. See how third-party software enables you to:
<ul>
<li>Separate co-eluting components</li>
<li>Identify known and unknown components</li>
<li>Store, share, and leverage expertise</li>
</ul>
Hear about recent enhancements to these tools and see a sneak-peek of enhancements yet to come.
<h3>Intended Audience</h3>
<ul>
<li>Mass Spectrometrists</li>
<li>Analytical Chemists</li>
<li>Analytical Lab Managers/Directors</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
Presenter: Anne Marie Smith, Senior Application Scientist at ACD/Lab
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
She received her Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from McMaster University where she developed MALDI-MS based assays for screening aminoglycoside kinases. After graduating she was employed as an Associate Scientist with Gilead Sciences in Alberta where her work focused primarily on impurity identification by LC/MS and LC method development. At ACD/Labs Anne Marie applies her hands-on experience with MS instruments and scientific software packages, plus knowledge of chromatographic method validation, to help customers implement our MS solutions and troubleshoot any technical challenges.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Host: Sanji Bhal is the Director of Marketing &amp; Communications at ACD/Labs.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Prior to joining ACD/Labs she was a lab-coat wearing medicinal chemist at Signalgene Inc., where she pursued her ongoing interest in cancer research, followed by a stint with the CRO NAEJA Pharmaceuticals. Sanji began her career in the U.K., completing her Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry at the University of Reading, and a post-doctoral fellowship at Cancer Research UK. Today Sanji is passionate about understanding the challenges still faced by scientists and R&amp;D organizations, and helping to &#39;match-make&#39; their needs with the tools available to support their innovations.
</blockquote>

Pixabay/Gerd Altmann:  Practical Steps for Efficient Deconvolution of LC/MS and GC/MS Data for Deformulation

LCMS webinars focusing on Software - page 54