One of the challenges of proteomics is sample size. Researchers need to fractionate complex protein mixtures into their component parts for subsequent analysis, but the miniscule quantities and volumes involved preclude standard large-scale chromatography. Three years ago Agilent Technologies, headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., introduced its 1100 series capillary LC system, featuring tiny tubes that could pump nanoliter volumes through columns with high accuracy. Now the company is following that up with a microfraction collection system for single or multidimensional separation of protein and peptide mixtures.
The new device features a low flow rate, lower fraction delay volumes, and an optimized nanoflow apparatus. "The standard HPLC uses flow rates of 1 ml per minute, while we go down to five to 500 nanoliters per minute," says Christian Gotenfels, product manager of the solutions group at Agilent Technologies labs in Waldbronn, Germany. To accommodate the small sample volumes used by proteomics...
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