ISC 2026 - Day 2

<h4><strong>What if you could compress 179 days of grueling laboratory workflow into just 14 hours?</strong></h4><p><strong>In this episode of ‪ChromatographyTalk‬, ‪Organomation‬ General Manager David Oliva sits down with analytical chemist Laura Penabad to discuss her groundbreaking new research in biocatalysis and high-throughput screening. Evolving engineered enzymes typically requires checking thousands of variants—a massive bottleneck when traditional Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) runs take minutes per sample. Laura reveals how her team built a modular screening platform that shatters this limitation, running samples 128 times faster than standard methods without sacrificing analytical accuracy.</strong></p><p>Laura breaks down the "orchestra" of technologies making this possible, including coupling nanoliter droplet microfluidics with Cyclic Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry (cIM-MS) to separate complex chemical isomers in milliseconds. She also shares the chaotic but triumphant behind-the-scenes stories of her PhD journey—from presenting a "comically bad" early poster at ASMS to recruiting an undergraduate mechanical engineer to build custom automation software from scratch.</p><p>If you are an early-career researcher, a mass spec enthusiast, or curious about the future of synthetic biology and machine learning in chemistry, this episode is packed with invaluable intuition and advice.</p><h3><strong>Video Transcription</strong></h3><h4><strong>From Months to Hours: Droplet Ion Mobility–MS for Biocatalysis Screening</strong></h4><p><strong>High-throughput screening is central to directed enzyme evolution, but conventional analytical workflows can create a difficult compromise: extremely fast screens often provide limited structural information, while techniques such as LC-MS offer much richer chemical insight at the cost of throughput. In a recent interview, analytical chemist Laura described how her work with droplet-based cyclic ion mobility mass spectrometry is helping bridge that gap—providing rapid analysis while retaining the ability to distinguish structurally similar products.</strong></p><p>Her research grew from an initially modest proof of concept into a screening platform capable of analyzing a 96-well plate in roughly ten minutes. The resulting workflow was approximately <strong>128 times faster than a conventional three-minute LC-MS analysis</strong>, opening new possibilities for directed evolution campaigns in which thousands of enzyme variants need to be evaluated.</p><h4>Directed evolution needs better analytical screening</h4><p>Biocatalysis takes advantage of enzymes as highly selective catalysts capable of performing reactions under relatively mild conditions. Directed evolution extends those capabilities by deliberately modifying enzyme sequences, expressing large numbers of variants, screening their activity, and using the best-performing mutants as starting points for subsequent rounds of evolution.</p><p>The process can be repeated multiple times, progressively steering an enzyme toward improved activity, altered substrate specificity, or even chemistry that does not occur naturally.</p><p>But the effectiveness of directed evolution depends heavily on the screening step. The more variants that can be analyzed—and the more useful chemical information that can be collected for each one—the more effectively researchers can explore the enormous sequence space available to an enzyme.</p><p>For Laura, this created a clear analytical challenge: develop a screening platform that was substantially faster than conventional chromatographic analysis without sacrificing the structural discrimination needed for chemically similar products.</p><h4><strong>From an imperfect first experiment to a working platform</strong></h4><p>The project did not begin with a polished high-throughput workflow.</p><p>Laura recalled looking back at her <strong>2023 ASMS poster</strong>, where the early system was still working with standards rather than true isomeric samples. Droplet introduction was slow—around six seconds per droplet—and the signals were far from the ideal reproducible, square, flat-topped profiles expected from replicate droplets.</p><p>Nevertheless, simply producing a droplet signal represented an important first milestone.</p><p>The decisive change came when the project stopped being treated merely as a demonstration that droplet ion mobility–MS could work and instead became a deliberate effort to build a <strong>robust screening platform</strong>.</p><p>Laura approached the problem in modules. First came reliable droplet introduction. Then the ion mobility separation method. Quantification became another independent component. Matrix effects were introduced later, gradually making the system resemble the conditions expected with real screening samples.</p><p>Each layer was tested before another was added.</p><p>This stepwise strategy became one of the central principles of the project: rather than attempting to optimize the entire system simultaneously, individual components were developed, challenged, and then assembled into an increasingly realistic workflow.</p><h4><strong>Finding the middle ground between speed and structural information</strong></h4><p>One of the biggest analytical problems in high-throughput screening is distinguishing products with the same nominal or exact mass.</p><p>Constitutional isomers may contain the same atoms and therefore generate the same mass-to-charge ratio, while differing only in how functional groups are arranged within the molecular structure. Very rapid optical or mass-based screens may therefore struggle to distinguish them.</p><p>Traditional LC-MS can solve many of these problems through chromatographic separation, but a several-minute analysis rapidly becomes impractical when thousands of enzyme variants must be screened.</p><p>Ion mobility offered Laura’s team another option.</p><p>Rather than separating compounds on a chromatographic timescale, ion mobility can differentiate ions according to their gas-phase behavior on a much shorter timescale. In the workflow described in the interview, this created a useful compromise: not the kilohertz throughput possible with some simple screening technologies, but dramatically faster structural differentiation than conventional LC-MS.</p><p>The goal was therefore not simply to achieve the fastest possible screen, but to find a <strong>middle-throughput analytical regime with enough resolving power to answer chemically meaningful questions</strong>.</p><h4><strong>A 96-well plate in about ten minutes</strong></h4><p>That strategy eventually produced one of the most striking results of the project.</p><p>The droplet cyclic ion mobility–MS platform processed a <strong>96-well plate in roughly ten minutes</strong>, while maintaining quantitative results comparable with the conventional LC-MS workflow used for comparison. According to the interview, this represented an approximately <strong>128-fold increase in analysis speed relative to a three-minute LC-MS run</strong>.</p><p>Laura described the successful plate experiment less as a surprise than as confirmation that the modular development strategy had worked.</p><p>Before reaching that point, the workflow had already been challenged through a sequence of increasingly demanding experiments: droplet formation, ion mobility separation, calibration, matrix-containing calibration, and cross-testing analytes at different concentrations. By the time the complete plate was analyzed, each individual part of the analytical system had already been tested under progressively more realistic conditions.</p><h4><strong>What does that speed mean for directed evolution?</strong></h4><p>The impact becomes even clearer when the workflow is considered at the scale of an entire directed-evolution campaign.</p><p>Laura’s manuscript estimated that a <strong>five-round campaign involving 5,000 variants would require approximately 179 days using the conventional LC-MS workflow but only about 14 hours using the new platform</strong>.</p><p>Compressing months of analytical work into less than a day has consequences beyond laboratory productivity.</p><p>It allows researchers to screen more enzyme variants and therefore sample a larger portion of sequence space. But the resulting datasets may also become increasingly valuable for computational approaches.</p><p>Rather than retaining information only about the best-performing enzyme variant, researchers can preserve data describing variants that performed poorly as well as those that succeeded. When genotype and phenotype information remain linked through the well-plate workflow, these larger datasets can potentially provide richer input for machine-learning models designed to guide subsequent rounds of enzyme evolution.</p><p>Faster analysis therefore does more than accelerate an existing experiment—it can change the scale and design of the experiment itself.</p><h4><strong>Balancing ion mobility resolution and signal</strong></h4><p>Increasing cyclic ion mobility separation time can improve resolution, but it also introduces an important trade-off: additional passes can reduce signal.</p><p>Laura optimized this balance experimentally by continuously infusing mixtures containing both isomers and progressively adjusting the ion mobility conditions. After tuning parameters such as wave height and velocity, increasing the separation to <strong>three passes</strong> provided baseline resolution at the high analyte concentrations used during method development.</p><blockquote><p><strong>Concentration, however, also mattered.</strong></p></blockquote><p>At higher ion populations, space-charge effects could broaden peaks and reduce the baseline separation. This meant that the optimal number of passes could not be selected independently of the concentration range required by the final assay.</p><p>Her broader advice for optimization is therefore application-driven: decide first what the analytical method actually needs to accomplish.</p><p>More speed will almost always require sacrificing something—resolution, signal intensity, quantitative precision, or another performance parameter. The key is to identify which compromise the application can tolerate and then optimize the system around that requirement.</p><h4><strong>Solving droplet carryover with a practical compromise</strong></h4><p>Droplet-based workflows present their own engineering challenges, including carryover between neighboring samples.</p><p>In Laura’s system, analytes showed little tendency to partition into the fluorinated oil separating aqueous droplets within the Teflon tubing. The more troublesome carryover occurred closer to electrospray ionization, where a small amount of sample could remain associated with the interface and appear when the next droplet arrived.</p><p>Rather than adding excessive engineering complexity to an already elaborate platform, the researchers adopted a pragmatic solution: a <strong>sacrificial wash droplet</strong> between analytical samples.</p><p>It is an example of a recurring theme throughout the project. The objective was not to construct the theoretically most sophisticated droplet system, but to create a screening workflow that remained sufficiently robust, reproducible, and practical for large numbers of samples.</p><h4><strong>High-throughput analysis also requires high-throughput data processing</strong></h4><p>Accelerating the mass spectrometry experiment created another bottleneck: the data.</p><p>The instrument produced a continuous intensity-versus-time trace rather than a neatly organized well-plate dataset. With small experiments, Laura could manually identify individual droplets and process the results in spreadsheets. That approach quickly became unrealistic as sample numbers increased.</p><p>The solution emerged through collaboration with an undergraduate mentee, Aiden, who helped develop a dedicated software tool for processing the continuous traces.</p><p>Laura defined how the software should behave and how the analytical information should be organized, while Aiden developed the computational implementation. The workflow itself was subsequently adjusted to make automated data processing more reliable—for example, by introducing marker columns that allowed the software to recognize the end of each plate row.</p><p>The resulting tool can accept the acquired traces together with information about plate dimensions and replicates and automatically return parameters including <strong>peak identity, duration, and the corresponding well position</strong>. A later version also generated an automatically populated heat map.</p><p>The experience illustrates how improving analytical throughput often requires simultaneous development of instrumentation, experimental design, and informatics. Making the measurement faster is useful only if the resulting data can be processed at a comparable speed.</p><h4><strong>Mentoring became part of the scientific process</strong></h4><p>The software project also reflects another theme Laura emphasized throughout the interview: the value of mentoring.</p><p>Several younger researchers contributed directly to the development of the final platform. Laura described mentees not simply as additional hands in the laboratory but as scientists capable of proposing their own hypotheses and experimental ideas.</p><p>Working with undergraduate researchers also influenced the way she organized experiments.</p><p>Because their available laboratory time was limited, each task needed to have a clear purpose. That encouraged a more disciplined approach to experimental planning: instead of performing experiments simply because they could be done, the team had to ask which experiment would most efficiently answer the next important question.</p><p>In that sense, mentoring became another mechanism for improving the research itself.</p><h4><strong>The next step: continuous, automated screening</strong></h4><p>Despite the dramatic increase in analytical speed, the current workflow still includes manual operations such as loading tubing and connecting the sample stream to the mass spectrometer.</p><p>The next engineering challenge is therefore automation.</p><p>Laura described ongoing work using the <strong>Venturi effect</strong> to pull samples directly from wells into the droplet system. Building on previous work in the laboratory with 96-well plates, she has already tested this approach with as many as <strong>2,000 samples</strong>.</p><p>The long-term direction is clear: continuous and robust droplet generation, automated handling of thousands of samples, rapid ion mobility separation, mass spectrometric detection, and automated reconstruction of the resulting data into plate-based outputs.</p><p>Combining those elements could move the system closer to the type of large-scale screening required for increasingly ambitious biocatalysis campaigns.</p><h4><strong>Learning mass spectrometry one problem at a time</strong></h4><p>Laura also reflected on the broader experience of developing the platform during her PhD.</p><p>Ion mobility and mass spectrometry initially appeared intimidating, particularly because they combine concepts from analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, separations, instrumentation, and electrical engineering. What eventually changed was not simply learning more facts, but developing the ability to move repeatedly between theory and experiment.</p><p>An unexpected result sends the researcher back to the underlying theory. A better understanding suggests a modified experiment. That experiment creates another observation, gradually building intuition about how the system behaves.</p><p>Her advice to early-career scientists is therefore to accept that this process takes time.</p><p>Advanced analytical techniques may initially appear overwhelming, but understanding develops incrementally through repeated interaction between theory, experimentation, failure, and refinement. Equally important, she emphasized the role of the supportive ion mobility–mass spectrometry community in making a technically demanding field more approachable for young researchers.</p><p>From the first inconsistent droplets to a platform capable of processing thousands of samples, that iterative mindset ultimately shaped the entire project.</p><blockquote><p><strong>This text has been automatically transcribed from a video presentation using AI technology. It may contain inaccuracies and is not guaranteed to be 100% correct.</strong></p></blockquote><blockquote><h4><strong>Concentrating on Chromatography Podcast</strong></h4><p>Dive into the frontiers of chromatography, mass spectrometry, and sample preparation with host David Oliva. Each episode features candid conversations with leading researchers, industry innovators, and passionate scientists who are shaping the future of analytical chemistry. From decoding PFAS detection challenges to exploring the latest in AI-assisted liquid chromatography, this show uncovers practical workflows, sustainability breakthroughs, and the real-world impact of separation science. Whether you’re a chromatographer, lab professional, or researcher you'll discover inspiring content!</p><p>You can find <strong>Concentrating on Chromatography Podcast </strong>in podcast apps:</p><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1wZg67rCjoGju4yhqxI3tL"><strong>Spotify</strong></a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/tz/podcast/concentrating-on-chromatography/id1788429185"><strong>Apple podcast</strong></a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podscan.fm/podcasts/concentrating-on-chromatography"><strong>podscan</strong></a></li></ul><p>and on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/@ChromatographyTalk/videos"><strong>YouTube channel</strong></a></p></blockquote>

Droplet Cyclic Ion Mobility Mass Spec: Compressing Months of Enzyme Screening Into Just 14 Hours

ISC 2026 - Day 3

Article

Events

Video

Scientists

Interview

The International Symposium on Chromatography (ISC) represents the oldest conference series focussing on separation science. ISC symposia have been organised since 1956 in each even year. ISC is internationally recognised as one of the premier meeting series for discussion of all modes of chromatography and separation science with a broad coverage of techniques and applications.

International Symposium on Chromatography - (ISC)

Organomation, founded in 1959, designs and manufactures high-quality nitrogen evaporators and extraction systems. Known for innovation and durability, their lab instruments are used globally for efficient sample preparation with strong customer support.

Organomation

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The ACQUITY H-Class PLUS Binary System combines an optimized flow path resistant to clogging, stable high-pressure gradient formation, and support for sub-2-µm to 5-µm particle columns to deliver the ideal choice for reproducible everyday LC-MS analyses with any tandem quad or Q-ToF." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_H_Class_PLUS_System_6_2e9f1740ab.jpg 234w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="682"></p></div></div><div><div><h3><strong>Discover the UPLC difference</strong></h3><p>The <strong>ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS System</strong> is the next evolution of ultra-performance instrumentation, providing the <strong>high resolution</strong> of a <strong>quaternary or binary liquid chromatography (LC) system</strong>.</p><p>Achieving <strong>true UPLC performance</strong> requires that system dispersion (or extra-column band spread) be matched to the peak widths associated with narrow bore columns packed with <strong>sub-2-μm particles</strong>. While other systems might be designed for high pressure, it doesn’t mean they're designed to deliver the <strong>sharp peaks of UPLC performance</strong> and the <strong>ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS System</strong>.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_H_Class_PLUS_System_cd9c6e5cda.jpg" alt="Waters ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS System: Comparison of the same method with the same column on a low-dispersion ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS System versus a higher-dispersion UHPLC system." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_H_Class_PLUS_System_cd9c6e5cda.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="555"></p></div></div><div><div><h3><strong>Take your methods to the next level</strong></h3><p>Leverage the benefits of <strong>UPLC technology</strong> to improve your existing <strong>HPLC methods</strong>. By scaling your methods to UPLC, your laboratory will benefit from the combination of <strong>increased resolution, sensitivity, and speed</strong> that comes with modern small particle chemistries.</p><p>Designed to accommodate all of your LC method needs, the <strong>ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS System</strong> is ideally suited to <strong>future-proof your laboratory</strong>, enabling the support of existing HPLC methods now, and provide <strong>significant productivity and cost benefit</strong> when utilized for UPLC methods.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_H_Class_PLUS_System_2_97e7735374.jpg" alt="Waters ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS System: The USP analysis of diclazuril and organic impurities was scaled from HPLC to UHPLC to UPLC. The UPLC method resulted in a 4x reduction in run time and a 10x reduction in solvent consumption resulting in improved sample throughput and reduced cost per analysis." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_H_Class_PLUS_System_2_97e7735374.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="613"></p></div></div><div><div><h3><strong>Discover the best method for the best results</strong></h3><p>Get the <strong>versatility</strong> to discover the best set of chromatographic conditions for your sample, providing a <strong>more robust method</strong>. The flexibility of the <strong>ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS Quaternary System</strong> allows you to <strong>automatically screen important method parameters</strong>, including:</p><ul><li>Up to <strong>six columns</strong> in independently temperature-controlled compartments</li><li>pH and ionic strength with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.waters.com/waters/Auto%E2%80%A2Blend-Plus/nav.htm?cid=134623262"><strong>Auto•Blend Plus</strong></a><strong> Technology</strong></li><li><strong>Optional and integrated solvent selection valve</strong> expands access to six additional mobile phase lines&nbsp;</li><li><strong>11 unique gradient profiles</strong></li></ul><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_H_Class_PLUS_System_3_fc2b3f925b.jpg" alt="Waters ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS System: (A) Auto·Blend Plus method gradient table for trastuzumab pH optimization. (B) pH optimization on trastuzumab charge variants separation. Gradient: 20 mM MES buffer, 50–155 mM NaCl in 15 min." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_H_Class_PLUS_System_3_fc2b3f925b.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="622"></p></div></div><div><div><h3><strong>Deliver greater speed and precision for routine analyses</strong></h3><p>The <strong>ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS Binary System</strong> combines the <strong>proven reliability and performance</strong> of the H-Class PLUS System with the <strong>precision and lowest system volume</strong> offered by our <strong>high-pressure mixing binary solvent manager</strong>, allowing you to:</p><ul><li>Accommodate the <strong>most challenging sample matrices</strong></li><li>Tackle applications with <strong>long shallow gradients</strong></li><li><strong>Improve the throughput</strong> of your methods</li></ul><p><strong>Combine </strong>the capabilities of the <strong>ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS Binary System</strong> with <strong>Waters </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.waters.com/waters/global/Tandem-Quadrupole-%28-Triple-Quadrupole-%29-Mass-Spectrometry/nav.htm?cid=134656172"><strong>Tandem quadruple technology</strong></a><strong> </strong>for routine quantitative UPLC-MS/MS applications, so you can confidently quantify and trace components in the most complex of samples.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_H_Class_PLUS_System_4_618bbb6347.jpg" alt="Waters ACQUITY UPLC H-Class PLUS System: Direct transfer without a gradient delay offers the opportunity for method improvement with the analysis time going from 5 minutes to 3 minutes representing a 40% reduction in runtime." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_H_Class_PLUS_System_4_618bbb6347.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="600"></p><h3><strong>Specifications</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Maximum operating pressure</strong>: 15,000 psi</li><li><strong>pH range</strong>: 1–12.5 (<i><span>For specific test conditions, contact your Waters sales representative)</span></i></li><li><strong>Operating flow rate range</strong>: Up to 2.2 mL/min</li><li><strong>Sample flow path</strong>: Stainless-steel</li><li><strong>Sample carryover</strong>: ≤0.002% (Caffeine) under UV conditions</li><li><strong>Sample compartment</strong>: 4–40 °C</li><li><strong>Pump options</strong>: Binary, Quaternary</li><li><strong>Solvent conditioning</strong>: Active Pre-heating</li><li><strong>Column tracking</strong>: eCord Technology tracks column information and archives column usage</li><li><strong>Column capacity</strong>: Up to 6 columns of 150 mm length and up to 4.6 mm I.D.</li><li><strong>Maximum sample capacity</strong>: Up to 20 plates (with Sample Organizer)</li><li><strong>Detector options</strong>:&nbsp;<ul><li>PDA Detector</li><li>TUV Detector</li><li>FLR Detector</li><li>RI Detector</li><li>ELS Detector</li><li>Mass Spectrometers</li></ul></li><li><strong>External control</strong>:&nbsp;<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/627">Empower Software</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/635">MassLynx Software</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/1544">waters_connect</a></li><li>UNIFI Scientific Information System</li></ul></li><li><strong>Physical specifications</strong> <strong>(QSM or BSM, SM-FTN, CHA):</strong><ul><li>Width: 34.3 cm (13.5 in.)</li><li>Height: 71.1 cm (28.0 in.)</li><li>Depth: 71.2 cm (28.0 in.)</li></ul></li></ul></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>

Waters ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System

With the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System, your lab can achieve highly efficient, rapid separations from ultra-low dispersion and delay volume.

<div><div><h4><strong>Complex chromatography challenges, solved</strong></h4></div></div><div><div><p><strong>Looking for answers to the most complex scientific challenges is what you do, and the scientific tools you deploy and the information they provide can make all the difference. With industry-leading separations performance, the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System provides new possibilities for maximizing the resolution and sensitivity of your methods, enhancing the characterization of your samples, and improving productivity to advance the science of your laboratory.</strong></p><div><div><div><div><p>With the <strong>ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System</strong>, your lab can achieve <strong>highly efficient, rapid separations</strong> from <strong>ultra-low dispersion and delay volume</strong>. The system enables your lab to get <strong>narrow, ultra-efficient peaks</strong>, enhancing the <strong>sensitivity of any mass spectrometer</strong> and simplifying the characterization of the most complex sample.</p><ul><li><strong>Achieve precise and accurate binary solvent blending</strong> with the Binary Solvent Manager, ideal for up to four solvents with integrated solvent-select valve</li><li><strong>Get sample injection versatility</strong>, depending upon your application with the flow-through needle and fixed loop injector options</li><li><strong>Manage ultra-low carryover</strong> through programmable method settings to ensure compatibility even with the most sensitive mass spectrometers</li><li><strong>Get accurate temperature control</strong> across the entire column, configurable for 1 to 2 columns with active preheating</li><li><strong>Improve the performance of any mass spectrometer</strong> with the highest chromatographic resolution which minimizes interference from co-elutions</li><li><strong>Minimize the time and cost</strong> associated with annual qualification with the Waters Empower-based automated system qualification tool (SQT)</li><li><strong>Supported by Empower, Masslynx, UNIFI</strong>, and several third-party software packages</li></ul></div></div><div><div><h5><strong>Recommended Use</strong></h5><p><strong>Enhance the characterization of your samples</strong>, while <strong>improving productivity</strong> to advance the science of your laboratory.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_I_Class_PLUS_System_9b05f209f6.jpg" alt="Waters ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System: ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System FTN-H PDA angled." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_I_Class_PLUS_System_9b05f209f6.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="637"></p><div><div><div><div><h3><strong>Get a clearer picture of your sample</strong></h3><p>Get improved resolution through <strong>reduced system dispersion</strong> with the <strong>ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System</strong>, providing separations that can amplify your research.</p><p><strong>Shorten analysis times</strong>, <strong>reduce solvent usage</strong>, and <strong>speed access to the data</strong> you need for critical decisions. Designed to fit into your existing LC workflow, the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System provides a <strong>clear view into what lies within the sample</strong>.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_I_Class_PLUS_System_2_c2d3e9e7d9.jpg" alt="Waters ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System: In this example, the impurity analysis of tetracaine was run under the same conditions on the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System (system band spread of 4 µL) and a UHPLC system (system band spread of 20 µL). Significantly better resolution was achieved on the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_I_Class_PLUS_System_2_c2d3e9e7d9.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="595"></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><h3><strong>An inlet that improves the performance of any MS</strong></h3><p>The ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System is designed specifically for the <strong>rapid pace of laboratories</strong> on the <strong>cutting edge of research</strong> where <strong>LC-MS plays a critical role</strong>.</p><p><strong>With the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System, your lab will:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Improve resolution and ionization efficiency</strong> with narrow peak widths, enhancing <strong>mass spectrometry sensitivity</strong></li><li><strong>Enhance sensitivity</strong> through <strong>industry-leading carryover performance</strong></li><li><strong>Improve sample characterization</strong> through <strong>selective isolation</strong> with multidimensional UPLC configurations</li><li><strong>Achieve exceptionally fast analysis times</strong> with <strong>ultra-low delay volume</strong></li><li><strong>Achieve ultimate peak capacity</strong> with <strong>CORTECS Columns</strong></li></ul><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_I_Class_PLUS_System_3_d8d5bb46be.jpg" alt="Waters ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System: A high sensitivity UPLC-MS/MS bioanalytical methodology for the quantification of midazolam and imipramine in rat plasma using the Xevo TQ Absolute Tandem Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer in combination with an ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_I_Class_PLUS_System_3_d8d5bb46be.jpg 182w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="878"></p></div></div><div><div><h3><strong>Achieve ultimate peak capacity with CORTECS Columns</strong></h3><p>When paired with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.waters.com/nextgen/global/products/columns/cortecs-columns.html"><strong>CORTECS 1.6 µm solid-core columns</strong></a>, the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System enables scientists to achieve new levels of resolution, sensitivity, and chromatographic performance. With <strong>CORTECS Columns</strong> and the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System, you can increase resolution for even your toughest samples and get the flexibility and power you need to rapidly separate a wide array of compounds.</p><p><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_I_Class_PLUS_System_4_2dfd32bd0d.jpg" alt="Waters ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System: By pairing the ultra-low dispersion ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System with high-efficiency CORTECS Columns, you’ll achieve new levels of UPLC performance. These 1.6 µm columns deliver exceptional levels of efficiency, performance, and throughput, resulting in narrower peaks and higher peak capacity." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Waters_ACQUITY_UPLC_I_Class_PLUS_System_4_2dfd32bd0d.jpg 210w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="761"></p><h3><strong>Specifications</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Maximum operating pressure</strong>: 18,000 psi</li><li><strong>pH Range</strong>*: 1–12.5</li><li><strong>Operating flow rate range</strong>: Up to 2.0 mL/min</li><li><strong>Sample flow path</strong>: Stainless-steel</li><li><strong>Sample carryover</strong>: &lt;0.001% (Caffeine) under UV conditions</li><li><strong>Sample compartment</strong>: 4–40 °C</li><li><strong>Pump options</strong>: Binary</li><li><strong>Solvent conditioning</strong>: Active Pre-heating</li><li><strong>Column tracking</strong>: eCord Technology tracks column information and archives column usage</li><li><strong>Column capacity</strong>: Up to 2 columns of 150 mm length and up to 4.6 mm I.D.</li><li><strong>Maximum sample capacity</strong>: Up to 20 plates (with Sample Organizer)</li><li><strong>Detector options</strong>:&nbsp;<ul><li>PDA Detector</li><li>TUV Detector</li><li>FLR Detector</li><li>RI Detector</li><li>ELS Detector</li><li>Mass Spectrometers</li></ul></li><li><strong>External control</strong>:&nbsp;<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/627">Empower Software</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/635">MassLynx Software</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/products/1544">waters_connect</a></li><li>UNIFI Scientific Information System</li></ul></li><li><strong>Physical specifications (QSM or BSM, SM-FTN, CHA):</strong><ul><li>Width: 34.3 cm (13.5 in.)</li><li>Height: 71.1 cm (28.0 in.)</li><li>Depth: 71.2 cm (28.0 in.)</li></ul></li></ul></div></div></div></div>

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