Chromatography

Chromatography & Mass Spectrometry Solutions

Douglas Pauls, Technical Fellow and Electronics AMT at Collins Aerospace, shares insight about electronic device cleaning with Thermo Scientific IC/SP Product Manager, Paul Voelker.

Electronic Device Cleaning

Analytical Cannabis 

Speaking at the Analytical Cannabis Expo Europe Online 2021, Rime Bahij, PhD, Head of Research at QNTM Labs presented her talk on analytical challenges in the European cannabis industry.

Abstract: Medical cannabis has shown efficacy through clinical trials and is being deployed legally in medical settings as a therapeutic for numerous conditions. However, there continues to be considerable variation in the regulatory approaches towards medical cannabis between European countries. Across Europe, various countries allow the use of cannabinoid containing medicinal products, and a growing number have established standalone medical cannabis programmes. The formal definition of ‘medical cannabis’ is often misinterpreted, and therefore its terminology has many grey areas. The European medical cannabis market lacks a common regulatory framework and there is a pressing need to develop clear policies and regulations across territories to foster harmonisation. The highly regulated nature of this sector demands rigorous quality control measures that require advanced analytical techniques to ensure product safety. The nature of the Cannabis plant and its status as an illegal and controlled narcotic in many countries, adds a level of complexity to the development of harmonised analytical protocols. This talk will highlight some of the analytical challenges facing this developing sector.

Analytical Challenges in the European Cannabis Industry

Speaking at the Analytical Cannabis Expo Europe Online 2021, Rainer Schmid, PhD, of MCRA presented his talk on cannabis testing by HPLC. 

Abstract: Fast and rugged monitoring of Cannabinoids in hemp plant material (flowers) or in commercially produced hemp products (as extracts and oils) by HPLC is becoming more and more a daily practice. Even when monitoring only single cannabinoids a complex separation system is nevertheless a requirement. Reversed phase separation may offer good solutions, but it turns out, that fast and easy separations of >10 Cannabinoids in a run are hard to establish. Own developments have shown that fast separations become possible when choosing modern core-shell columns, not necessarily requiring UHPLC instrumentation. But a specific column selectivity is a critical aspect, only few HPLC columns may offer. The influence of the different separation parameters will be discussed: Knowing them well, will lead to a stable separation method at the end. Well established pre-analytical procedures and calibration strategies should not be overlooked, when setting up a successful and economic Cannabis monitoring system.

Successful Routine Monitoring of Cannabinoids with HPLC – Challenges & Solutions

Speaking at the Analytical Cannabis Expo Europe Online 2021, Nick Clarkson CSO at PhytoVista Laboratories
presented his talk on standardisation and accreditation of laboratory testing.

Abstract: With the UK leading the way in creating a compliant and regulated CBD market in food, supplements and cosmetics, some efforts have been made by government bodies and laboratories to standardise analysis through ring trials and the dissemination of analytical methods. The underpinning of ISO17025 accreditation by European National Accreditation Bodies is explored, along with key challenges to accreditation, general current challenges and future European trends.

Standardisation and Accreditation of Laboratory Testing Towards a Regulated CBD Market in Europe

Speaking at the Analytical Cannabis Expo Europe 2021, Mark Reinders, CEO and Board Member of HempFlax and European Industrial Hemp Association presented his talk on responsible CBD.

Abstract: HempFlax, Europe’s largest independent hemp grower and processor, cultivates over 2,000 hectares of industrial hemp every year. Much of that is processed into CBD and sold in Holland & Barrett under the Jacob Hooy brand, where it is one of the UK’s top-selling CBD brands. It is not without good reason that Europe’s leading health and wellbeing store stocks CBD grown and processed by HempFlax. With 25 years of hemp cultivating experience, HempFlax has come to learn that quality starts in the field, not the factory.

It is for this reason that HempFlax pioneered CanCheck.org, a free-to-use online CBD tracing tool, where every link of the CBD supply chain is verified by blockchain. Developed with the Cannabinoid Association of the Netherlands (CAN), a consortium of Dutch CBD producers, CanCheck.org drives unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability by empowering consumers to trace CBD products from the shelf to seed. Traceable products, which include all Jacob Hooy CBD, are identifiable by the CAN Quality Mark which appears on products and which delivers consistent and clear product composition analysis conducted by accredited laboratories.

It is schemes such as this that Mark, HempFlax and the European Industrial Hemp Association believe will determine the future of CBD. UK and EU Novel Food regulation simply isn’t suited to hemp-derived CBD, which has been consumed by humans for thousands of years, and it does not ensure consumer safety. As UK and EU regulation of CBD continues to be unresolved, consumer safety falls to responsible producers such as HempFlax – and will continue to do so regardless of the regulatory outlook.

Simultaneously, HempFlax is a founding member of EIHA’s Novel Food consortium, which has submitted a joint Novel Food application in order to ease the financial burden (estimated at €350,000-€500,000 per individual applicant). The consortium has passed the UK FSA’s key administrative checks, allowing members’ products to remain on UK shelves. Full authorisation is expected after EIHA-sponsored CBD and THC toxicological testing is completed. Mark is confident that these studies will demonstrate the safety of naturally occurring trace levels of THC in hemp foods and supplements, prompting lawmakers to establish a risk apparatus consistent with alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. Only then can we protect consumers whilst allowing a competitive hemp food industry to the thrive.

Responsible CBD: From the fields of HempFlax to the shelves of Holland & Barrett

Speaking at the Analytical Cannabis Expo Europe Online 2021, Chris Tasker, cannabinoid researcher and consultant, took a deep dive into the fundamental system that underpins a whole industry. Chris also explored the overlooked medical marvel of the endocannabinoid system and what it means for public health, disease research and the cannabis industry.

The Endocannabinoid System: The next CBD

Speaking at the Analytical Cannabis Expo Europe Online 2021, Alexandre Maciuk, PhD,  Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy at University Paris-Saclay, presented his talk on the cannabis metabolome.

Abstract: Cannabis sativa varieties are usually characterized in the literature by chemotypes, with Δ9-THC and CBD content as the main markers. However, chemotyping could also be done based on minor compounds (including other phytocannabinoids or compounds from other phytochemical families. In this work, a workflow, which we propose to name cannabinomics, combines mass spectrometry of the whole metabolome and statistical analysis to help differentiate C. sativa varieties and deciphering their characteristic markers. By applying this approach to the data obtained from 20 varieties of C. sativa, we compared the results with those obtained using the quantification of 11 targeted phytocannabinoids and also genotyping. Cannabinomics can be considered as a complementary tool for phenotyping and genotyping, allowing the identification of minor compounds playing a key role as markers of differentiation.

Cannabinoids vs. Whole Metabolome: Relevance of cannabinomics in analyzing cannabis varieties

Teach Me in 10

Life on earth cannot survive without water, yet we face more contaminants than ever before in our environment and drinking water supplies. Changing and increasingly stringent regulations mean there are new analytical challenges in testing drinking water. This is exemplified by compounds such as disinfection by-products generated during pre-treatment of water intended for human consumption, externally introduced per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and ionic pesticides. 
Ion chromatography is one of the most important analytical techniques in the inorganic water laboratory. In this episode of Teach Me in 10, Dr. Detlef Jensen, senior expert in applied markets at Thermo Fisher Scientific, will discuss this in detail. He will provide an explanation as to what is changing in drinking water regulations around Europe and what this means for labs, as well as teaching us ways to analyze HAAs and DBPs.⁠



Keeping Our Drinking Water Safe – New Regulations, New Contaminants and How IC-MS Can Help With Dr. Detlef Jensen  

Speaking at The Science of Cannabis Testing 2021 online symposium, Robert O'Brien, PhD, Founder and CEO of Supra Research and Development presented his talk on developing testing standards for heated inhalant products.

Abstract: There are many cannabis products that are intended to be consumed as vapors after being heated to high temperatures. At elevated temperatures the chemical components of the cannabis material and any additives that are heated can undergo a number of chemical processes to generate a mixture of chemical agents that are inhaled by the consumer. It is critically important to understand the nature of the vapors that can be consumed and to take appropriate action to reduce or eliminate toxic chemical agents that could cause harm to consumers. Our research team has developed screening “stress tests” for ingredients and formulations to identify and eliminate those materials that can generate hazardous chemical agents. We are also working on sampling methodologies to measure vapors produced by the devices commonly used by consumers to understand the natures of the chemical agents delivered to the consumers.

Chromatography

Refine By

Keep up to date with all your favourite videos and channels.

Get personalised notifications on new releases and channel content by subscribing to the LabTube eNewsletter.