Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop
The Multidimensional Chromatography (MDC) Workshop brings together researchers to exchange and discuss their work in chromatography. The workshop takes place in Liege, Belgium, in 2023. Dr. Harynuk from the University of Alberta will deliver his latest research about gas chromatography entitled “Blueberries and wheat and beer, oh my! Adventures in the application of GC×GC to foodomics”. And his Ph.D. student, Sheri Schmidt will present a poster with the title “Multiomics study of wheat volatiles”.


Publications
Dr. Harynuk’s work in separations and chemometrics supports research in diverse fields including human health and exposures, interactions between plants and pests, forensic science, textiles, food and beverages, multi-omics studies for plant breeding, and non-target analysis.
His group has just published two articles on the analysis of plants metabolites using gas chromatography. Both of them are open-access and available online.
The first paper, “Improved sample storage, preparation and extraction of blueberry aroma volatile organic compounds for gas chromatography” discussed the aroma profiles of blueberries, which contain a heterogeneous mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as the most effective method in preserving VOC from berries during sample preparation and extraction.


There are a few highlights of this research:
- HS-SPME and DHS extractions yield sufficient analyte recovery of blueberry VOCs.
- GC×GC-TOFMS analysis enhances identification of aroma compounds in VOC profiles.
- Proper storage and preparation of blueberries is crucial for VOC preservation.
- Selection of an appropriate quality control matrix assures significant results.
Another plant-related paper is the first to publish the essential oil from the leaves of Guadalupe-growing Zanthoxylum caribaeum (syn. Chiloperone), also known as the yellow prickly ash. They demonstrated that GC GC-TOFMS enabled a rapid and straightforward method for profiling the volatile metabolome of this plant and was able to offer a preliminary metabolite profile for further research. This study is documented in its entirety in “The Metabolomic Profile of the Essential Oil from Zanthoxylum caribaeum (syn. chiloperone) Growing in Guadeloupe FWI using GC × GC-TOFMS”.
If you are wondering if two-dimensional gas chromatography is the ideal platform for your project. Please contact us to learn more about this technique! We have experts in this field. Harynuk’s team is also adding two new instruments to their laboratory including a GC×GC-BT and a GC×GC-HRT+.


20th International GCxGC Symposium


Dr. Harynuk is also the chair for the 20th International GCxGC Symposium in Canmore this coming May. They are looking forward to welcoming people to the mountains to meet in person once again after far too long a break. Full conference information is available here.
The early-bird registration and abstract submission are open. The specific theme areas for the GC and GCxGC applications in:
- Environment and Forensics
- Foods / Natural Products
- Instrumentation and Fundamentals
- Chemometrics and Data Handling
- Petroleum / Industrial
- Metabolomics / Health
Summarized by Juan Darius