Undergraduate - UnitPSC3202 - Applied analytical methods

At the end of this unit students will be able to:

1. Correctly operate pipettes, pH meters, balances, conduct volumetric dilutions and filtration;
2. Correctly label equipment, write, codify and understand the importance of GLP documentation;
3. Organize to work in a student team constituted of a project manager, a QA manager and scientists responsible for the instrument, solutions preparation and software (roles rotate every week) as in Industry;
4. Effectively operate HPLC instruments to conduct sample analysis, applying all components of the HPLC process, solution and sample preparation, HPLC set-up and operation and HPLC instrument software;
5. Investigate and find information about the problem in available resources and identify the parameters that can solve the problem;
6. Elaborate a plan, propose a series of experiments and predict the results that will solve the problem at hand and justify the prediction in a class presentation;
7. Perform the experiments, compile the results between groups and critically analyze, interpret and conclude on the outcome;
8. Understand, practically judge, and select correct capacity factor k' and efficiency N (optimum linear velocity- Van Deemter equation) to improve resolution and minimize band broadening;
9. Select and combine the most effective solvent, columns and stationary phase chemistry, to improve selectivity and subsequently separation resolution;
10. Differentiate between isocratic and gradient method benefits and develop a gradient method to shorten the run time of a separation while maintaining an acceptable resolution;
11. Manipulate the HPLC software to accurately integrate a peak for accurate quantitative analysis;
12. Understand principles of Method Validation (linearity, range, LOD LOQ, precisions, accuracy, reproducibility, robustness), recommend a plan of action and organize to elaborate a method validation protocol, generate and analyze validation data in an iterative process in order to pass acceptance criteria as articulated in ICH guidelines;
13. Use a Plackett Burman Design of experiment template developed in PSC3201 to analyse and conclude about the robustness of the developed method as specified in ICH guidelines;
14. Synthesize all the validation results and write a report which discusses the results and concludes on their adequacy with the validation acceptance criteria;
15. Identify, understand and exploit for improvement the differences between HPLC and UHPLC;
16. Troubleshoot common HPLC problems, maintain HPLC systems and columns.