Chromatography Newsletter: Summer Edition

Chromatography in the summer lab

Summer has arrived! While many are enjoying holidays, barbecues, and long sunny days, laboratories are often busy with seasonal samples and reduced staffing due to vacations.

In this Summer Edition, we look at how to maintain high efficiency and result quality during the busy summer period.

Summer Challenges in the Food Lab

  • Increased Sample Volume
    Summer brings a surge in food, beverage, and environmental samples – ice cream, soft drinks, beer, fresh berries, fruits, and sunscreen.
  • Reduced Staffing
    With many colleagues on holiday, labs must do more with fewer hands. This increases the demand for fast, reliable, and reproducible methods.
  • Complex Summer Matrices
    High sugar, fat, and water content in many summer products (e.g., ice cream, fruit-based drinks, and fresh produce) can make sample preparation more challenging.
  • Need for Fast Turnaround
    Food producers and importers often require quick results during the high season to keep products on the shelves.

How to Stay Efficient This Summer

1. Effective Sample Preparation
Good sample cleanup is the best way to reduce re-runs and save time. Teknokroma QuEChERS and Finisterre SPE cartridges are excellent choices because they:

  • Handle complex, high-water and high-sugar matrices effectively
  • Provide clean extracts with minimal matrix effects
  • Support both LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS analysis
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QuEChERS and Finisterre SPE Cartridges from Teknokroma 

2. Reliable Chromatography Consumables
Using high-quality columns and liners helps ensure stable performance even with higher sample throughput:

  • Teknokroma GC columns and liners for volatile compounds (ethanol, flavorings, solvents)
  • Orochem and Technokroma HPLC/UHPLC columns for robust and reproducible separations

3. Gas Supply Optimization
Many labs can benefit from switching from gas cylinders to a Peak Scientific gas generator during summer. No more cylinder changes during holiday periods, constant purity, and less logistical hassle.

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 Generators for GC from Peak Scientific 

Tips for a Smooth Summer in the Lab

  • Prioritize robust sample preparation methods to minimize instrument downtime
  • Batch similar sample types to increase efficiency
  • Use high-quality consumables that require less frequent column changes
  • Consider automation-friendly solutions (e.g., 96-well SPE plates) if your workload is high

At Nordic Biolabs, we know that summer can be both hectic and rewarding. We are here to help you keep productivity high and results reliable – even when half the team is at the beach.

Contact Iben Kofoed Piper for more information!