Applications of Chromatography

Chromatography is a vital tool used in many industries to determine the composition of a mixture. Chromatography is widely known for its role in scientific research, although it holds importance in other industries. Chromatography plays a vital role in industries we interact with quite often. Pharmaceuticals, clinical trials, environmental and chemical safety, food and beverage, drug testing, forensics, petroleum creation, and molecular biology are some of the most common uses of chromatography.

What is Chromatography?

Understanding Chromatography: Basics and Applications

Chromatography is a biophysical technique that creates separation, identification, and purification of a mixture to then analyze the components of the mixture. To do so, chromatography relies specifically on two different phases, the mobile and stationary phases. To separate the components of the mixture, it is dissolved in a solvent during the mobile phase. The mobile phase then carries the mixture through the stationary phase where the components of the mixture interact with the stationary phase. The components all interact with the stationary phase at their own pace, creating the separation of the components located within the mixture. The components of the mixture will move differently through this phase due to differences in absorption, partition, and molecular weights. Chromatography can be done in many ways to adhere to the different substances being analyzed. Some of the most common types of chromatography are gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, and column chromatography.

While the technicalities of chromatography might seem distant, they actually play a significant role in your daily life. From the food you consume to the medicines you rely on, chromatography is a vital process. It helps ensure the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceutical drugs, aids in the determination of nutritional content and expiration dates of food and beverages, and even supports environmental monitoring by assessing chemical impacts.

Nowadays, chromatography is often found in analytical, developmental, and quality control laboratories due to its wide range of abilities. Several different types of chromatography are used in various industries, including examples such as preparing safe pharmaceutical drugs and clinical testing, determining the expiration date and nutritional components of food and beverages, monitoring chemical safety impacts on the environment, and even aiding in forensics research. The various applications of chromatography all hold significant importance in their respective fields to keep industries safe and to further understand changes in their landscape.

In essence, chromatography is not just a scientific technique; it's a cornerstone of modern industry practices that ensures the quality and safety of countless products and services integral to everyday life.

Applications of Chromatography

Exploring the Diverse Applications of HPLC

Pharmaceutical and Clinical Testing

Chromatography plays an important role in the safety of pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical companies use chromatography to quantify and analyze compounds for contaminants. For example, chiral compounds have two different forms due to their atoms differing slightly in space. One form of chiral compounds is known to be toxic. Chromatography can ensure that the safe form is separate from the dangerous form of the chiral compound. 

Vaccination creation is also an application of chromatography. Chromatography can be used to determine which antibodies are the best for fighting and neutralizing certain diseases.

In the fight against the Ebola virus outbreak, which tragically claimed over 11,000 lives, scientists utilized chromatography to develop the experimental immunization Zmapp. This critical process involved identifying the most effective antibodies capable of neutralizing the deadly virus. By isolating and analyzing these antibodies, researchers were able to make significant strides in combating the outbreak.

Through this detailed approach, chromatography not only facilitated the development of vaccines but also provided essential insights into the antibody interactions necessary for effective immunization strategies.

Food and Beverage

Quality control within the food and beverage industry can be enacted through chromatography. 

In the food industry, chromatography is used to separate and analyze additives, vitamins, proteins, amino acids, and other nutritional compounds in food items. Chromatography can also be used to determine expiration dates by distinguishing the number of organic acids present as well as to detect any harmful toxins that may have been added to the food item. An example of chromatography in the food industry is the horsemeat scandal of 2013. Previous testing methods were unable to distinguish the contents of processed meat, ultimately allowing horsemeat to be passed off as beef. With the use of chromatography, a clear differentiation can be made.

The 2013 horsemeat scandal highlighted significant gaps in traditional food analysis methods, particularly when it came to processed meats. These methods were effective for analyzing raw samples but fell short with processed products. This inadequacy led to the mislabeling of horsemeat as beef, which went undetected until chromatography became the method of choice.

Chromatography, specifically high-performance liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), emerged as a crucial tool. This advanced technique provided the precision needed to identify the true composition of meat products. By pinpointing whether the labeled beef was indeed beef, horse, or a mixture of various ingredients, chromatography offered a reliable solution to food testing challenges.

Environmental and Chemical Industry

The chemical industry must adhere to numerous environmental safety precautions. Perfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, have become a persistent threat to the human body and the environment. PFAS can be found in items such as protective coatings on shoes and other fabrics, electronics, and even firefighting foams. While these substances benefit products by making them extremely durable, they pose an environmental concern as they continue to accumulate. PFAS in our drinking water can also lead to damaging health concerns such as reproductive and developmental setbacks. By using solid-phase extraction, liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry, we can detect PFAS in the environment and our drinking water, even at very low limits.

Drug Testing

Chromatography can be very useful in drug testing and clinical toxicology reports. Chromatography can separate and analyze substances found in urine samples. When running a clinical toxicology report, drug testing a new employee or testing a professional athlete for performance-enhancing drugs, chromatography determines what substances have been taken through an analysis of a urine sample which ultimately determines if any harmful or illicit drugs have been used. When running a clinical toxicology report, drug testing a new employee, or testing a professional athlete for performance-enhancing drugs, chromatography determines what substances have been taken through an analysis of a urine sample, which ultimately determines if any harmful or illicit drugs have been used.

In the realm of sports, chromatography plays a pivotal role. This analytical technique can accurately identify substances within the bloodstream, making it indispensable for ensuring fair play among athletes. It's widely employed to test for doping or performance-enhancing drugs, ensuring that competitions remain clean and competitive. The next time you're watching your favorite sport, consider the rigorous testing processes that uphold the integrity of the game, all thanks to advances in chromatography.

By combining its ability to analyze both urine and blood samples, chromatography provides a comprehensive approach to detecting banned substances across various domains. Whether in the hiring process or on the playing field, its application ensures safety and fairness.

Security

Security practices are a unique industry where chromatography can be utilized. Gas chromatography can be used to determine volatile gases, furthering safety measures at locations such as airports and large gatherings with similar safety precautions like concerts and sporting events to eliminate deadly threats.

Forensics

Similar to security precautions, Forensics is a unique application of chromatography. Gas chromatography can be used for more in-depth forensics procedures, for example, crime scene analysis to test evidence such as blood, hair, and fabric samples to further understand what may have happened at the scene. Chromatography is massively important to forensic pathology work. Gas chromatography is widely used to identify the types of fluids and compounds that exist in a body postmortem. In such cases, a possible cause of death and motive can be determined based on finding drugs, alcohol, or toxic substances in the body. Another unique form of forensics that can be assisted by chromatography is arson verification. By using chromatography in arson verification, it’s possible to identify flammable substances in fire debris to determine the exact substance that created the fire.

Molecular Biology Studies

One of the most complex uses of chromatography is molecular biology studies. Hybrid techniques between electrochemistry (EC) and mass spectrometry with chromatography are often applied to studies of proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids. This combination is largely used for metabolomics such as biotransformation reactions like oxidative reactions and proteomics such as the purification of plasma proteins, hormones, and antibodies. Chromatography in nucleic acid research plays a role in accelerating the identification process of nucleobases, nucleotides, and nucleosides, as well as identifying their oxidization process.

Petroleum

Gas chromatography is used to analyze finished gas products and refining processes. Chromatography is most notably used in the analysis of natural and refinery gas for BTU content and hydrocarbon composition. 

Nowadays, chromatography is often found in analytical, developmental, and quality control laboratories due to its wide range of abilities. Several different types of chromatography are used in several industries, including examples such as preparing safe pharmaceutical drugs and clinical testing, determining the expiration date and nutritional components of food and beverages, monitoring chemical safety impacts on the environment, and even aiding in forensics research. The various applications of chromatography all hold significant importance in their respective field to keep industries safe and to further understand changes in their landscape.

Conclusion

Understanding What Chromatography Separates

Chromatography stands as an indispensable tool across a wide array of industries, bridging the gap between scientific discovery and practical application. 

From safeguarding pharmaceutical drugs and ensuring food and beverage quality to advancing environmental safety, forensics, and molecular biology, chromatography's versatility and precision make it a cornerstone of modern technology and research. Its ability to separate, identify, and analyze complex mixtures ensures the integrity of countless products and processes that touch our daily lives. 

As industries evolve and challenges become more complex, the applications of chromatography will continue to expand, ensuring that this vital technique remains a key player in innovation and safety.

If you're in need of high-quality chromatography supplies and equipment to support your industry or research, visit Chrom Tech. We provide a wide range of reliable products to help you achieve precision and excellence in your chromatography processes. Explore our catalog today to find the tools you need!