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Dwight R Stoll

Publications and source records attributed to Dwight R Stoll.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Fast gradient elution reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection as a high-throughput screening method for drugs of abuse. I. Chromatographic conditions.

A new approach for the high-throughput screening of biological samples to detect the presence of regulated intoxicants has been developed by modifying a conventional gradient elution high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC). The goal of this work was to improve the speed of gradient elution screening methods over current approaches by optimizing the operational parameters of both the column and the instrument without compromising the reproducibility of the retention times, which is the basis for the identification of intoxicant compounds. Most importantly, the novel instrument configuration substantially reduces the time needed to re-equilibrate the column between consecutive gradient runs, thereby reducing the total time for each analysis. The total analysis time for each gradient elution run is only 2.80 min, including 0.30 min for column re-equilibration between analyses. Retention times of standard calibration solutes are reproducible to better than 0.002 min in consecutive runs. A corrected retention index was adopted to account for day-to-day and column-to-column variations in retention time. For a set of forty-seven target compounds, the discriminating power and mean list length were found to be 0.95 and 3.26, respectively. In comparison to previous work with similar numbers of target compounds, the current approach provides an order of magnitude improvement in analysis time, and a four-fold decrease in mean list length.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Fast gradient elution reversed-phase liquid chromatography with diode-array detection as a high-throughput screening method for drugs of abuse. II. Data analysis.

In Part I of this work, we developed a method for the detection of drugs of abuse in biological samples based on fast gradient elution liquid-chromatography coupled with diode array spectroscopic detection (LC-DAD). In this part of the work, we apply the chemometric method of target factor analysis (TFA) to the chromatograms. This algorithm identifies the target compounds present in chromatograms based on a spectral library, resolves nearly co-eluting components, and differentiates between drugs with similar spectra. The ability to resolve highly overlapped peaks using the spectral data afforded by the DAD is what distinguishes the present method from conventional library searching methods. Our library has a mean list length (MLL) of 1.255 and a discriminating power of 0.997 when both retention index and spectral factors are considered. The algorithm compares a library of 47 different compounds of toxicological relevance to unknown samples and identifies which compounds are present based on spectral and retention index matching. The application of a corrected retention index for identification rather than raw retention times compensates for long-term and column-to-column retention time shifts and allows for the use of a single library of spectral and retention data. Training data sets were used to establish the search and identification parameters of the method. A validation data set of 70 chromatograms was used to calculate the sensitivity (correct identification of positives) and specificity (correct identification of negatives) of the method, which were found to be 92% and 94%, respectively.

Algorithms↗

Analysis of four-way two-dimensional liquid chromatography-diode array data: application to metabolomics.

Two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) is rapidly gaining popularity for the analysis of very complex mixtures, including proteomic and metabolomic samples. It provides an effective strategy for separating such samples, because the resolving power of 2D-LC is far superior to that of traditional single-dimension separations. The present work focuses on the development of data analysis methods for the extremely large data sets, on the order of 10 million data points, generated by 2D-LC with diode-array detection (DAD). Specifically, we have applied and adapted chemometric methods to the analysis of maize seedling digests, focusing on compounds related to the biosynthetic pathways of indole-3-acetic acid, the primary growth regulator in plants. The chemometric techniques of window target testing factor analysis (WTTFA), along with parallel factor analysis - alternating least squares (PARAFAC-ALS) were used to analyze 2D-LC-DAD chromatograms of a sample composed of 26 indolic standards, 2 extracts of mutant orange pericarp maize seedlings, 2 extracts of wild-type maize seedlings, and a blank sample. The indolic compounds studied belonged to six spectrally unique groups, and WTTFA was able to specifically identify the presence or absence of any of the 26 indolic standards in the mutant and wild-type samples. A PARAFAC-ALS algorithm and an ALS algorithm with flexible constraints were successfully applied to resolve the spectrally rank deficient data and to demonstrate the quantitative potential of multivariate curve resolution methods. Using this procedure, 95 total peaks were resolved in the data set analyzed. Of those 95 peaks, 45 were found in both the mutant and wild-type maize samples, 16 peaks were unique to the mutant maize samples, 13 peaks were unique to the wild-type maize samples, and 15 peaks were unique to the standard chromatograms. Of the 26 standards included in the data set, several indole acetic acid conjugates were identified and quantified in the maize samples at levels of approximately 0.3-2 microg/g plant material.

Algorithms↗

A graphical method for understanding the kinetics of peak capacity production in gradient elution liquid chromatography.

A novel graphical method for assessing the compromise between conditional peak capacity and separation speed for packed bed columns under gradient conditions has been developed and applied to the separation of peptides. This approach is analogous to and complements the conventional "Poppe plot" used to study plate count in isocratic separations. The use of the new plot can assist the design of appropriate column formats (e.g. particle size and column length) for both dimensions in gradient elution two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2DLC). Particularly for the second dimension of 2DLC, we find that smaller particles provide faster separations even though fast separations based on particles smaller than 2 microm are practically limited by the required miniscule column length. We also find that high temperatures strongly enhance the kinetics of peak capacity production whereas higher pressures help achieve larger absolute peak capacities albeit at the cost of longer analysis time.

Chromatography, Liquid↗

Fast, comprehensive online two-dimensional high performance liquid chromatography through the use of high temperature ultra-fast gradient elution reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

A new approach to high speed, comprehensive online dual gradient elution 2DLC (LCxLC) based on the use of ultra-fast, high temperature gradient elution reversed phase chromatography is described. Entirely conventional gradient elution instrumentation and columns are assembled in a system which develops a total peak capacity of about 900 in 25 min; this is equivalent to roughly one peak/2 s. Each second dimension gradient is done in a cycle time of 21 s and the peak retention times measured for a set of twenty six indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) derivatives are reproducible to 0.2 s. Each peak eluting from the first dimension column is sampled at least twice across its width, as the corresponding peaks on the second dimension column appear in two or three consecutive second dimension chromatograms, clearly indicating that there is little loss in the resolution gained in the first dimension separation. Application to the separation of the low molecular weight components of wild-type and mutant maize seedlings indicates the presence of about 100 peaks on a timescale of 25 min. Compelling illustrations of the analytical potential of fast, high temperature 2DLC are evident in the clear presence of nine distinct peaks in a single second dimension chromatogram from a single quite narrow first dimension peak, and the great power of 2DLC to solve the "analytic dynamic range" problem inherent in the measurement of small peaks that are neighbors to a gigantic peak.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

Peak capacity optimization of peptide separations in reversed-phase gradient elution chromatography: fixed column format.

The optimization of peak capacity in gradient elution RPLC is essential for the separation of multicomponent samples such as those encountered in proteomic research. In this work, we study the effect of gradient time (tG), flow rate (F), temperature (T), and final eluent strength (phi(final)) on the peak capacity of separations of peptides that are representative of the range in peptides found in a tryptic digest. We find that there are very strong interactions between the individual variables (e.g., flow rate and gradient time) which make the optimization quite complicated. On a given column, one should first set the gradient time to the longest tolerable and then set the temperature to the highest achievable with the instrument. Next, the flow rate should be optimized using a reasonable but arbitrary value of phi(final). Last, the final eluent strength should be adjusted so that the last solute elutes as close as possible to the gradient time. We also develop an easily implemented, highly efficient, and effective Monte Carlo search strategy to simultaneously optimize all the variables. We find that gradient steepness is an important parameter that influences peak capacity and an optimum range of gradient steepness exists in which the peak capacity is maximized.

Animals↗

Fast, comprehensive two-dimensional HPLC separation of tryptic peptides based on high-temperature HPLC.

Two-dimensional HPLC (2D-LC) has recently received considerable attention, and is being used as an alternative to 2D gel electrophoresis in proteomics research. The greatest impediment to the widespread use of 2D-LC is the long analysis time ranging up to days per analysis, making the technique impractical for many jobs. Here we focus on improving the speed of gradient separations since these are typically used as the second dimension in peptide separations by 2D-LC. Specifically we describe high-temperature, ultrafast HPLC conditions, along with the instrument modifications needed to reduce the analysis time of each complete second-dimension gradient separation to tens of seconds. Most importantly, this system is capable of generating a high peak capacity (1350) characteristic of comprehensive 2D-LC in a relatively shorter analysis time (20 min) with a sampling rate sufficient to minimize information loss with simpler instrumentation than currently used; this is equivalent to one unit of peak capacity per second.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

High speed gradient elution reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

A major disadvantage of gradient elution in terms of speed results from the need to adequately re-equilibrate the column. This work distinguishes two states of re-equilibration: (1) run-to-run repeatability and (2) full equilibration. We find that excellent repeatability (+/-0.002 min in retention time) is achieved with at most 2 column volumes of re-equilibration whereas full equilibration can require considerably more than 20 column volumes. We have investigated the effects of adding ancillary solvents (e.g. n-propanol, n-butanol) to the eluent and changing the particle pore size, initial eluent composition and type, column temperature and flow rate on the speed of full equilibration. Full equilibration seems to be more thermodynamically limited than kinetically controlled. Also, we show that the main limitation to reducing the full equilibration time is related to instrument design issues; a novel approach to overcome these instrumental issues is described.

Chromatography, Liquid↗