Specialties Chemicals News

By now, nearly everyone is familiar with the term “microplastics”: microscopic particles of plastic thatenter into the environment and into biological organisms. Microplastics found in the body have beenlinked to numerous adverse health effects, and as such, the removal of microplastics from theenvironment has been of high interest in the scientific community. The problem with…

Organ-on-chip platforms aim to improve preclinical models for organ-level responses to novel drug compounds. Heart-on-a-chip assays in particular require tissue engineering techniques that rely on labor-intensive photolithographic fabrication or resolution-limited 3D printing of micro-patterned substrates, which limits turnover and flexibility of prototyping. In a recent paper authored by Janna C. Nawroth et al., published in Biofabrication ( Biofabrication ((2018) 10 025004), UCT’s silane chemicals were used for soft lithography fabrication of stamps for micro-molding hydrogels. The authors developed a rapid and automated method for large scale on-demand micro-patterning of gelatin hydrogels for organ-on-chip applications using a novel biocompatible laser-etching approach.

Several deaths in the US and Europe have been attributed to U-47700 both alone, and in combination with other drugs. In a presentation given at the recent SOFT-TIAFT conference in Boca Raton by M.L. Zaney et al., postmortem cases from a regional medical examiners laboratory in Florida, USA were presented in which U-47700 was detected either in blood or drug paraphernalia. In the study, whole blood specimens were extracted using UCT’s flagship Clean Screen® DAU solid phase extraction (SPE) columns. 

Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) is hosting its Spring 2018 Medical Cannabis Educational Summit. UCT, in conjunction with Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, will be leading a symposium for those who work in cannabis testing laboratories or are looking to start one.  Talks will be given on sample preparation, chromatography, quantitation of cannabinoids and the regulation of cannabis.  The event will provide scientific insight into the ever expanding cannabis market.  Click below to register and learn more about the event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/medical-cannabis-educational-summit-tickets-39125969829?aff=HACCWebsite

Many contaminants are now entering the composition of industrial and domestic products (personal care products, cosmetics, detergents, etc.). Following a massive and varied use of these products, significant amounts of pollutants can be found at different levels of the water cycle, particularly in urban areas. Healthcare facility discharges, by their nature, are often considered as non-domestic effluent, which can provide significant pollution comparatively to other domestic sources. In a recent paper authored by Alexandre Bergé et al., published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research (doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0470-8), UCT’s mixed-mode anion exchange solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges, CUNAX2 (200 mg/ 3 mL), were employed for the extraction/preconcentration of surfactants in waste water samples.

Of all the drugs plaguing analytical forensic toxicologists, the newer psychoactive substances (NPS) are the most challenging. One of the older NPS’s is the Synthetic Piperazines (SP) class. While circumventing legislative controls, SP’s are encountered as “legal” alternatives to ecstasy. Forensic toxicologists often meet unforeseeable challenges that may delay quantitative analysis of these compounds in biological fluids. Enzymatic reactions, matrix interferences and limited knowledge of analyte stability further complicate interpretation of calculated concentrations in the wide range of matrices submitted to the laboratory for analysis. In a recent paper published in Journal of Analytical Toxicology by Timothy Lau et al., (doi: 10.1093/jat/bkx090) the stability of SP’s in human blood under various storage conditions over time was investigated using UCT’s famous flagship sorbent Clean Screen^® DAU for the extraction process.

Marijuana, known for its euphoric and relaxing properties, continues to be the most commonly abused illicit drug globally. While the substance has numerous desirable affects like those noted above, long-term use has been shown to result in impaired memory, cognitive skills and psychomotor function through the psychoactive properties of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its hydroxylated metabolite (THC-OH). UCT has been at the forefront of the analysis and quantification of THC and THC-OH in biological fluids through the use of the Clean Screen® THC sorbent and extraction column.   

In a new paper by Lori Smith et al, published in the Journal of Food and Agricultural Chemistry (DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b02280), a wide and diverse range of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) were analyzed in rodent liver samples using UCT’s dispersive SPE (d-SPE) tubes for sample clean-up. ARs are used to control rodent populations, acting as vitamin K antagonists by inhibiting vitamin K epoxide reductase. Consequently, formation of prothrombin and related blood-clotting factors (VII, IX and X) are blocked, causing massive hemorrhage and mortality. 

UCT in recognized around the world not only for manufacturing the finest solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbents, but also providing scientific support for clinical and forensic toxicology accounts worldwide. UCT’s FASt (Filter & Shoot) sorbent has recently been utilized in the analysis of the novel pharmaceutical tianeptine in forensic toxicological urine samples by S.K Dempsey et al., in Journal of Analytical Toxicology (doi: 10.1093/jat/bkx034) .

UCT is recognized for its support for the forensic toxicology community not only domestically, but abroad. This is demonstrated in a new article published in the journal Toxicologie Analytique & Clinique authored by Dr.J Long et al.,(http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.toxac.2016.11.003 2352-0078). In this paper, the authors utilize UCT’s famous Clean Screen ® DAU solid phase extraction column (ZSDAU020) to extract remifentanil, a short acting fentanyl analogue, from post mortem blood samples. This is believed to be the first report of a concentration of remifentanil in postmortem blood.

Even within states where recreational cannabis has not been legalized, government funded crime laboratories are seeing an uptick in seized plant and edible cannabis cases.  While toxicology sections are equipped with the tools needed to extract said samples if tasked with this additional work, drug chemistry units may struggle to treat the various edible forms, tinctures and waxes that appear in their laboratory.  

Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS) are conjugated ethanol biomarkers.  Due to their highly polar nature (log P of 1.51 and 0.62, respectively) and lack of retention on a traditional reversed phase HPLC column, their analysis is typically plagued by significant ion suppression when using a standard Dilute & Shoot approach.

UCT would like to extend our congratulations to Greg Mercer from the USFDA Regional Pacific Laboratory for winning the 2016 NACRW  “UCT Excellence in Sample Preparation Award.” The awarded poster presentation was entitled “A Simple and Effective Cleanup Procedure to Produce Quechers Extracts That Are More Compatible with Gas Chromatography” featuring UCT’s Chlorofiltr® dSPE sorbent. This polymeric-based material selectively removes interfering chlorophyll from sample extracts without compromising the recovery of planer pesticides. Try a sample today!

In a recent publication titled A microchip for quantitative analysis of CNS axon growth under localized biomolecular treatments, Journal of Neuroscience Methods,221, (2014) 166-174, (doi:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2013.09.018) tridecafluoro-1, 1, 2, 2- tetrahydrooctytrichlorosilane (T2492) from UCT Specialties, LLC was used to vapor coat cast molded poly(methylmethacrylate) and PDMS parts.