Superior separation columns are being developed in this project to be used with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems to detect environmental toxins such as DDT. The separation and analysis of compounds by HPLC systems depends on the amplification of small differences in the relative affinity of the compounds between the column matrix and the solvent. Using a few standardized column matrices, current HPLC procedures require adjustment of solvent composition to provide adequate separation of the compounds. By contrast, the current work will optimize the column for preferential binding of the target analyte by attaching selected members of a novel class of affinity ligands to the column matrix.Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications as described by the awardee: HPLC is known to be capable of enormously sensitive assays with excellent discrimination of the desired analyte from irrelevant contaminants. The optimized columns will improve on the performance of existing HPLC systems by expanding the portion of the chromatogram containing the target analyte, thereby simplifying identification of the analyte in environmental diagnostic analyses. In addition to accelerating the development of reproducible assays for a large number of toxins, these improved columns are expected to allow operation of the HPLC system with simpler solvent systems than those currently used. There is reason to believe that the use of simpler solvent systems would allow the columns to be made large enough to be used for waste removal.Topic 5: Environmental Biotechnology and Analyses
