Facilities
In 1999, the Mylnefield Lipid Analysis moved into new purpose-designed
laboratories that are generously equipped.
 In
addition to the facilities expected of most modern laboratories,
we have three relatively new Hewlett Packard gas chromatographs
with auto-injection facilities. The instruments are fully automated
with computerized data handling. After checking, results can be
exported directly to Excel spreadsheets on the analysts' computers,
so that reports can be prepared without manual transcription of
data. These instruments are used primarily for routine fatty acid
analysis, but can be adapted rapidly for more specialized applications
such as analysis of trans or conjugated fatty acids. A further
gas chromatograph is available for other analyses, such as sterols.
We have three instruments for high-performance liquid chromatography.
These HPLC systems all have a ternary gradient facility and are
linked to Alltech Model III evaporative light-scattering detectors,
or to a variable wavelength UV detector. Our latest purchase is
a fluorescence detector. Again, all the instruments are attached
to computers for data handling. These are used for lipid class
separations, or in the silver ion mode for trans analyses, and
for molecular species separations, for example.
The Unit has free access to the Institute’s mass spectrometry
facility, which is also accredited to ISO9001 standard. The core
instrument is a Hewlett Packard 5989B MS ENGINE research-grade
quadrupole instrument with electron impact, chemical (positive/negative)
ionization modes and a mass range of 2000 amu. Distributed processing
software permits off-line data processing and reduces analysis
times. This instrument can provide mass and structural data on
a wide range of organic compounds. We have made extensive use
of this in structural analysis of fatty acids, but have also applied
it to a range of other lipid molecules, including sterols and
glycerol ethers.
 A
further bench top instrument is dedicated principally to the analysis
of volatile compounds. This consists of a Perkin Elmer automated
thermal desorption system (ATD) linked to a VG TRIO-1000 quadrupole
gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. We have used this to determine
solvent residues in lipid preparations. When necessary, we can
access a Finnigan SSQ 710C liquid chromatography-MS instrument,
with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray
ionization (ESI) interfaces. We have used this to characterize
molecular species of triacylglycerols and other lipids.
All paper records and electronically derived data are archived
in our own facility.
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Latest Courses
Lipid Chemistry & Analysis Course
February 28th/29th 2008
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