How automation elevates chromatography sample preparation
Anyone who has had to prepare samples for chromatography knows that it can be a complex and labour-intensive task, which can make it prone to errors when carried out manually. But getting it wrong can lead to a whole host of problems, from reducing column life and potential instrument downtime to impacting on the separation efficiency and reproducibility of results. Worse still, erroneous results can negatively impact downstream stakeholders, budgets and reputations. With analytical labs under growing pressure from the combined challenges of increasing workloads and difficulties in the recruitment and retention of experienced personnel, new solutions are needed to streamline the process of chromatography sample preparation. This is where automation can help, taking sample preparation to new heights of accuracy and efficiency across a number of industries.
Lending a hand in life sciences research
Chromatography is extensively used in life sciences labs for separating and analysing complex mixtures of compounds, purifying biomolecules, and quantifying substances of interest. It plays a crucial role in drug discovery and development processes, where it is used for screening and analysing compounds, determining drug purity, and characterising pharmacokinetics and metabolism. In the highly regulated pharmaceutical sector, accuracy and reproducibility are key, but manual sample preparation for chromatography can be prone to processing errors due to the numerous liquid handling steps and very small sample volumes. Automation using analytical syringes can greatly increase the precision of these critical stages, ensuring that drug development efforts meet the rigorous requirements of the industry.
Enhancing environmental testing
Environmental testing laboratories must be able to screen a whole host of different samples for pollutants, toxins and harmful substances. One day they might be dealing with wastewater, and the next soil or industrial waste. Chromatography is frequently used to identify specific compounds in these complex mixtures, but being able to adapt to such a range of materials can be challenging for lab personnel who must perform a range of different sample preparation processes. Implementing a fully flexible automation solution, that can be used for any sample type, not only makes life easier for staff, but also frees them up to perform the many other jobs that must be carried out in a busy testing lab.
Streamlining safety and quality testing in the food industry
The food industry must comply with a range of regulations relating to food safety and labelling. Chromatography is often used in food safety and quality assurance laboratories for the detection and quantification of contaminants – like pesticides and mycotoxins – analysis of food additives, nutritional profiling, allergen detection, and quality control activities, to ensure authenticity and purity. Failure in these processes can result in costly product recalls and damage to a company’s reputation. Automating sample preparation can streamline the process, reducing the chance of errors introduced through manual handling. This allows laboratories to accurately assess food products for compliance with regulations, safeguarding consumer health and confidence.
Faster throughput in forensics and clinical pathology
Chromatography also has a central role in forensics, where it is commonly used for analysing evidence and identifying substances in biological specimens. The technique is often employed in toxicology labs, where it can efficiently identify the presence of illegal substances in samples submitted by prisons or the police. Similarly, clinical labs use chromatography to analyse patient samples for both diagnostic biomarkers and to measure drugs or drug metabolites, both for toxicology screening and therapeutic monitoring. In all these cases, the speed and precision of results is vital, as the resulting reports are critically linked to the outcomes of the investigation – whether that is correctly identifying a disease marker in a patient, or knowing whether a police suspect was under the influence of drugs. Automation can help to ensure that results are delivered quickly – since the equipment can run 24/7 – and provide confidence in the reported results, by minimising the chances of errors occurring in the sample preparation process.
Here at ePrep, we have over 60 years of experience in developing solutions for analytical chemistry that meet the needs of laboratories across all these industries. We recognised the challenges in sample preparation, and have developed the ePrep ONE to be a flexible automated instrument that supports almost any chromatography sample preparation workflow or batch size. The ePrep ONE is easy to set up and use, and has already proven itself in a range of industries, including for the preparation of EPA method standards and to boost productivity in life sciences labs.
Summary
Sample preparation for chromatography can be a challenge when carried out manually, no matter what industry you are in. Implementing an automated solution can help your workflow to reach the next level, improving accuracy and repeatability while addressing a busy laboratory’s requirements for simplicity, robustness, improved limits of detection, easy method transfer, and reduced environmental impact. This also frees up your expert lab personnel to focus on delivering exceptional and accurate outputs, whether that is forensic reports or new insights for drug development projects.
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