Vogon Laboratory Services Ltd.
Sample Analysis
Qualitative – presence / absence, unknowns, sample comparison
Quantitative – targeted compounds by MS/MS for high specificity and sensitivity
From pH meters to tandem mass spectrometers and everything in-between, Vogon Labs is a full service laboratory. Well, actually, we have a pH meter and tandem mass spectrometers, and not much in-between. We are not a general testing laboratory, rather a highly specialized lab with sophisticated equipment and a very capable staff.
If you have a difficult analytical problem, contact us and see if we can help:
- identification of unknown compounds
- quantitation of target compounds
- analyses for compounds which are not routinely analyzed by other labs
- confirmation of lab findings by highly specific and extremely sensitive mass spectrometric techniques
Specific tests for naphthenic acids, microcystins, pesticides, herbicides and environmental contaminants are available. We perform our test for naphthenic acids (NAs) by LC-QTOF, which is a highly specific approach that targets the explicit chemical composition of NAs using high resolution mass spectrometry. We provide a total NA value and can also provide a breakdown of specific acids to help you understand the nature of the sample.
Training and Education
Separation Techniques
- Gas Chromatography
- Liquid Chromatography
Mass Spectrometry
- GC-MS
- LC-MS
- MS/MS Techniques
Quantitative and Qualitative Workflows
- Streamlined workflows for increased efficiency and effectiveness
Solid Phase Extraction
Analysts and technologists are often too busy to attend general or specific training courses and lab managers do not often realize tangible benefits from sending staff to these courses. And yet, quality systems (and common sense) dictate that the lab staff should continue to receive appropriate training to maintain proficiency and learn new skills.
Vogon Labs specializes in providing effective education and training with specialized courses, especially in LC, GC and Mass Spectrometry applications. You can send your staff to our facility or we can come to your site to deliver a customized training package.
Method Development
The staff at Vogon Labs has developed specific analytical methods to meet the needs and requirements of many analytical laboratories located at educational and medical institutes, government and private enterprises. We have many years of experience covering a wide range of analytes (pesticides, environmental and food contaminants, human and veterinary drugs, chemical warfare agents, explosives, and more) in a wide variety of sample matrices (water, soil, food and biological samples).
We realize that method development can be a time consuming and difficult process, and your lab may not have the available chemists on hand or time required. Vogon Labs can provide custom method development and / or validation, performed in our laboratory or yours.
Lab Processes
Vogon Labs can help you identify bottlenecks in your lab processes, and recommend ways to improve efficiency and turnaround time. Whether it is sample handling, instrumental analysis or data processing, we can assist in improving your operations. We specialize in Agilent MassHunter software for processing Mass Spectrometry data.
Troubleshooting
Having trouble with hardware and/or software malfunctions? We can help pinpoint the cause and suggest protocols for trouble free operation and ongoing preventive maintenance to keep your lab systems up and running.
Equipment
Highly sophisticated mass spectrometry instruments are available for qualitative and quantitative analyses of samples, method development and training. It is possible to detect, measure and confirm ultra-trace amounts of known / unknown chemical compounds in a sample using an appropriate separation technique such as gas chromatography (GC) or ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) combined with mass spectrometric detection. Tandem MS analysis provides increased specificity and sensitivity.
Online solid phase extraction (SPE) techniques are available and used to enhance sensitivity and provide automation in sample processing.
If you have a difficult analytical problem, contact us and see if we can help:
- identification of unknown organic compounds
- quantitation of target compounds to ppb or ppt levels
- analyses for compounds which are not routinely analyzed by other labs
- confirmation of lab findings by highly specific and extremely sensitive mass spectrometric techniques
Specific tests for naphthenic acids (NAs), microcystins, pesticides, herbicides per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), and many other environmental contaminants are available. We perform our test for naphthenic acids (NAs) by LC-QTOF, which is a highly specific approach that targets the explicit chemical composition of NAs using high resolution mass spectrometry. We provide a total NA value and can also provide a breakdown of specific acids to help you understand the nature of the sample.
Agilent Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Time-of Flight (LC/Q-TOF) Mass Spectrometer
Several high-pressure LC modules are combined with a Q-TOF Mass Spectrometer. This system provides accurate mass data to confirm the identity of the molecular formula, using high mass resolution and high mass accuracy. Available ion sources such as Agilent Jet Stream, Electrospray (ESI), Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI) and Atmospheric Pressure Photo Ionization (APPI) allow detection of a wide variety of previously known and/or unknown compounds.
Agilent Liquid Chromatography Triple Quadrupole (LC/QQQ) Mass Spectrometer
Several high-pressure LC modules are combined with a highly selective and sensitive LC/QQQ. All the ionization sources used on the LC/Q-TOF are available to provide detection of a wide variety of target organic compounds at extremely low levels, such as parts per billion (ppb), parts per trillion (ppt), and sometimes parts per quadrillion (ppq).
Agilent Gas Chromatography Triple Quadrupole (GC/QQQ) Mass Spectrometer
A 7890A gas chromatograph (with Split/Splitless and Multimode inlets) is coupled to a highly selective and sensitive triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with electron ionization (EI) and chemical ionization sources. This system provides very sensitive and specific detection of volatile and semi-volatile compounds in complex samples.