Expanded Chip Column Family for Nano and Micro LC Proteomics Analysis

AB Sciex announced the extension of its Eksigent line of column chips for the cHiPLC®-nanoflex system. Five new chips introduced at the HUPO (Human Proteome Organisation) conference expand the flexibility and application of
the system for high-performance proteomics analysis, including biomarker discovery, validation and verification.
The extended offering adds higher flow micro cHiPLC columns for peptide separation at increased throughput levels, as well as new phases for the analysis of intact proteins, phosphopeptides and glycans. All cHiPLC-nanoflex columns are designed and microfabricated to be robust and highly reproducible, providing superior-quality separations that are easy to obtain by users at all experience levels.

The first two of the new chips are nano LC columns – C4 for the analysis of intact proteins and graphitised carbon for phosphopeptides and glycans. The other three new chips, including 200 μm i.d. C18-CL micro cHiPLC columns in 15cm and a new shorter 5cm length, are run at 1.0 to 3.5 μL per-minute flow rates, which reduce gradient delay times compared to nano flow HPLC, providing higher sample throughput and improved chromatography. The new micro cHiPLC columns deliver robust performance as well as increased speed and throughput for applications, such as quantitative biomarker  validation. When tested against the standard 75μm i.d., the new 200μm chips five times more protein identifications. This was achieved by loading five times more sample on the new chip, with a yeast digest,
resulting in three times the number of distinct peptide identifications.

Nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled with nanoelectrospray MS is the method of choice for protein and peptide analysis. The cHiPLC-nanoflex System is a docking station for up to three column chips. It can be added to any of Eksigent’s nanoLC systems, which can beinterfaced to many mass spectrometers, including AB Sciex TripleTOF™ 5600 for biomarker discovery and the AB Sciex QTRAP® 5500 for verification and validation. Eksigent’s proprietary EksPortTM microconnector system ensures reliable and consistent connections to facilitate column changes. The new nanoLC columns as well as trap columns for all phases are available for immediate shipment. The micro cHiPLC columns, as well as a new nanoLC HALO HILIC phase became available in October 2011.