The Column - January 2008 - (Page 19)

January 2008 www.thecolumn.eu.com The Column Q&A Far From Staying Stationary The Column spoke to Mark Woodruff, of Fortis Technologies, about its approach to developing new stationary phases. Why was Fortis launched and what does it offer separation scientists? The company was launched in 2005 with the aim of providing separation scientists with new tools to enhance their productivity. Pharmaceutical companies are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible,including the ability to improve their chromatography in terms of speed, selectivity, accuracy and robustness. We believe that we have designed stationary phases with unique properties. There have been major developments; capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). However, nothing has yet surpassed reversed-phase (RP) silica liquid chromatography (LC) as the dominant separation technique and this will not change in the near future. Our approach is to manufacture LC columns from base silica upwards which means that all parts of the process can be customized to meet the needs of analysts. We understand the need to have scale-up particle sizes from the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) ranges so we re-engineered our particles to be fully identical in selectivity from 2.1 µm to 3–5 µm and 10 µm. Our technical support resource for analysts gives impartial advice on how to best achieve the optimum retention and resolution for their given requirements. This is not soley to promote our range of silica columns. We will recommend polymeric columns, chiral columns, ion exchange columns when these are the most appropriate approach. We know a lot of other companies and can source within the industry to help people make an informed choice. technology constantly ebbs, not really maturing in the same way. This means that analysts will always embrace new solutions if they offer an advantage over existing technology. Manufacturers of consumables such as columns need to adapt quickly to trends and customer requirements. We believe we have not just produced a “me-too” product line, but an exciting set of complimentary phase designs that will allow the chromatographer to improve methods. UHPLC is a consequence of the productivity and sensitivity needs that the industry requires. It also opens up opportunity for new technology within LC columns because the chromatographer will still need selectivity from phases, not everything can be achieved by increased efficiency alone. Is there room in the market for another column manufacturer? Yes, unlike instrument design where invention leads to uncertainty until a dominant design prevails, column Author: Mark Woodruff E-mail: markwoodruff@fortis-technologies.com 19 http://www.thecolumn.eu.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Column - January 2008

The Column - January 2008
Contents
News
Zosimus
Cover Story: HPLC with Charged Aerosol Detection for Pharmaceutical Cleaning Validation
Market Trends and Analysis
Far From Staying Stationary: Q&A

The Column - January 2008