The Column - November 2006 - (Page 9)

Opinion November 2006 www.thecolumn.eu.com The Column Do We Need Fast LC or Intelligent Data Interpretation? laboratories with modern data systems was the technicians I am very privileged in that I attend most chromatography transcribing the results into a standard laboratory format. In the conferences and have recently had the opportunity to visit a laboratories with what I will call the older instrumentation without number of analytical laboratories throughout the world. In visiting the modern data systems I saw a far more integrated, tightly these laboratories I was particularly interested and amazed at the coordinated work plan, especially at the end of the analysis in the vast range of chromatography performed. way the results were viewed. Running what effectively in some The laboratories I have visited ranged from raw chemical laboratories was hand-assembled equipment I saw that the manufacturers employing only a handful of scientists to contract technicians had a real feel and understanding of the analytical laboratories to the major pharmaceutical analytical chromatography. This was very apparent in the way they viewed laboratories. I must say that I was amazed at the range of and interpreted the results. In one situation a technician was chromatographic equipment being used. In the high profile reviewing a chromatogram and noticed by eye, not from any print pharmaceutical laboratories I saw state-of-the-art instrumentation, out, that two of the expected peaks in the chromatogram had but in what I call the raw chemistry companies I saw equipment strange peak shapes and so a comment was made against this that must have been over 20 years old. I was not only amazed at sample. Would this have happened in the laboratories with the instruments but also at the age of some of the columns for modern instrumentation? In fact, I was reminded of the early days both GC and LC that are still being used. In one lab I saw an LC of computing when we all seemed to put our own DOS column over 10 years old that is still in use today. As was pointed based systems together ourselves. In doing so we out to me by the scientist running these old instruments, for the learnt a lot about computing. I believe from correct job the age of the instrument does not matter. And when assessing the information I have gathered a separation only requires 3000 plates/metre there is no need to from these visits that the laboratories upgrade to a super new high pressure fast UPLC instrument. These who assemble their own laboratories brought me back to the world of real instruments have a much chromatography! better understanding of In my visits to the state-of-the-art modern pharmaceutical the principles of laboratories something that really struck me was at no time did I chromatography. see any of the LCs working. On questioning the technicians if the So what's my point? Do instruments were broken I discovered in all instances that they had we need faster and faster completed their work cycle and were waiting for a new batch of chromatography? From samples. I always used to think of the rate-determining step in any what I have seen the analysis to be the chromatographic run time. This, now with chromatography is no modern instruments, does not seem to be the situation. The longer the rate-determining rate-determining step has now moved to sample preparation and step. We also still need the data interpretation. In the pharmaceutical laboratories I mainly saw human expert to both 96 and 384 sample plates being prepared, in some instances by review and advise on the robotics, for overnight runs. From one laboratory I obtained data data as despite what showing that a 96 sample set took nine hours to run. But the manufacturers may say no sample set could take the technician two days to prepare and then instrument can interpret a further two days to analyse. The data analysis was of great data better than a human. interest to me. What really seemed to be going on in the Author: Zosimus E-mail: zosimus@thecolumn.eu.com 9 http://www.thecolumn.eu.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Column - November 2006

Contents
News
Opinion
Market Trends & Analysis
The Low Down on Light-Scattering Detection
Old Questions ? New Solutions: Modern Ways for Complex Polymer Analysis and Additive Tracing
Supplies and Services
Country Focus
Q&A

The Column - November 2006