Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

This proposal aims to get a high-throughput extraction platform dedicated to the automatic preparation of liquid samples before analysis of small organic compounds. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) is the cornerstone of many analytical methods of quantification of small organic molecules, since without sample extraction and preconcentration, analysis would be impossible or ineffective at best. Our group of researchers is interested in the analysis of a diverse group of small molecules that have important functions or effects in air, the aquatic environment, and microorganisms. Summing up all current projects, we expect that in the next 5 years we will extract a total of about 5000 samples/year. The proposed platform allows the complete automatization of the SPE process, from cartridge conditioning to sample evaporation. High-throughput is critical to handle the high number of samples that all of our projects combined will generate. Versatility is important to extract efficiently the diverse compounds that our research studies will target (pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, plasticizers, human metabolites, bacterial metabolites, polar volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc.) in a wide range of volumes. Also, the selected platform is a fully automated system that can work unattended for long overnight sequences. All SPE method steps can be controlled by a computer, thus simplifying method optimization and development. In terms of quality of data, the system has an excellent volumetric accuracy that is essential to achieve accurate results. Sample cross contamination, an important issue for long sequences in which different samples are extracted, is reduced using a rinsing station as well as inert materials in tubing and valves. SPE is a widely-use sample preparation technique and mastering this technique is a valuable skill for future of chemists, biologists and engineers. For that reason, the main users of the requested instrumentation will be graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. While the automatic SPE platform will reduce students laboratory work time, it will enhance their training as HQP, since instead of spending time in trivial chores, they will concentrate their efforts on critical tasks associated with their research projects, such as data analysis and interpretation.