Chromotography

Chromatography involves a sample (or sample extract) being dissolved in a mobile phase (which may be a gas, a liquid or a supercritical fluid). The mobile phase is then forced through an immobile, immiscible stationary phase. The phases are chosen such that components of the sample have differing solubilities in each phase. A component which is quite soluble in the stationary phase will take longer to travel through it than a component which is not very soluble in the stationary phase but very soluble in the mobile phase. As a result of these differences in mobilities, sample components will become separated from each other as they travel through the stationary phase.

Within CMBB we have the following facilities:

High Performance Liquid Chromatography: chromatographic technique used to separate a mixture of compounds in analytical chemistry and biochemistry with the purpose of identifying, quantifying and purifying the individual components of the mixture
Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography: form of liquid chromatography used to separate or purify proteins from complex mixtures
Gas Chromatography (GC): separates and analyzes compounds that can be vaporized without decomposition.
GC/Mass Spectrometry: instrumental technique, comprising a gas chromatograph (GC) coupled to a mass spectrometer (MS), by which complex mixtures of chemicals may be separated, identified and quantified
Electro-Spray Mass Spectrometry: soft ionization technique typically used to determine the molecular weights of proteins, peptides, and other biological macromolecules

Specific equipment within CMBB:

Hewlett Packard HP 5890 Series II Gas Chromatograph

Waters 600 HPLC