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Concentrating on Chromatography

Concentrating on Chromatography

David Oliva 82 episodes Nov 9, 2026

Concentrating on Chromatography is a science podcast hosted by David Oliva that explores the frontiers of chromatography, mass spectrometry and sample preparation. Each episode features conversations with researchers, industry innovators and analytical chemists working on separation science. Topics range from PFAS detection challenges to AI-assisted liquid chromatography, along with practical workflows and sustainability advances. It is aimed at chromatographers, lab professionals and researchers who want to understand the real-world impact of analytical chemistry.

Episodes

Episode 86: Identifying Unknown Compounds: GC-MS, LC-MS, and NMR with James Little
Episode 86: Identifying Unknown Compounds: GC-MS, LC-MS, and NMR with James Little Nov 9, 2026 57:38 An unfamiliar peak. An inconclusive library search. A molecule that’s visible with one detector but missing from another. How do you figure out what’s actually in your sample?James Little joins David Oliva and Candi Gokey on Concentrating on Chromatography to explore the detective work behind identifying unknown compounds. Drawing on nearly five decades of mass spectrometry experience, including h
Episode 85: Kody Coyne: Building Flash & HPLC Methods for Brand-New Molecules (Undergrad Research)
Episode 85: Kody Coyne: Building Flash & HPLC Methods for Brand-New Molecules (Undergrad Research) Nov 2, 2026 37:42 Undergraduate researcher Kody Coyne is building a safer, hydrazine-free way to make nitrogen–nitrogen, nitrogen–oxygen, and nitrogen–sulfur bonds. Because every product is a brand-new compound, he has to invent the chromatography method to purify it.Kody is a biochemistry major and varsity swimmer at Monmouth College. In this episode he explains how he uses a custom C18 reversed-phase HPLC method
Episode 84: Chris Freye (Los Alamos) — Chromatography, Chemometrics, and the Science of Aging Explosives
Episode 84: Chris Freye (Los Alamos) — Chromatography, Chemometrics, and the Science of Aging Explosives Oct 26, 2026 47:17 Chris Freye, Ph.D., is a staff scientist in the High Explosives Science and Technology group at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he uses GC×GC, UHPLC, UHPLC-IMS, and high-resolution mass spectrometry to study how high explosives and plastic-bonded explosives (PBXs) change over time.In this episode, Chris discusses his path from rock climbing in the Pacific Northwest to a PhD under GC×GC pione
Episode 83: Beyond DNA: Forensic Lubricant Analysis, DART-MS & Sexual Assault Evidence with Dr. Candice Bridge
Episode 83: Beyond DNA: Forensic Lubricant Analysis, DART-MS & Sexual Assault Evidence with Dr. Candice Bridge Oct 19, 2026 58:56 When DNA is absent, incomplete, or difficult to interpret, what other evidence can help forensic investigators make meaningful connections?In this episode of Concentrating on Chromatography, David Oliva speaks with Dr. Candice Bridge of the University of Central Florida and the National Center for Forensic Science about the emerging field of forensic lubricant analysis.Dr. Bridge explains how chem
Episode 82: Ultra-Fast GC Meets Mass Spec: Measuring Forest Chemicals That Create Storm Clouds
Episode 82: Ultra-Fast GC Meets Mass Spec: Measuring Forest Chemicals That Create Storm Clouds Oct 12, 2026 55:00 He built a gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer small enough to fit in a carry-on suitcase, then hauled it up a 43-meter tower in 100-degree Alabama heat to catch invisible forest chemicals in real time.Austin "Augie" Dobrecevich, a PhD researcher at the University of Washington, joins Candi and David to break down how his ultra-fast GC captures a full chromatogram every single second
Episode 81: PFAS, 6PPD-Quinone & the Science of Emerging Contaminants w/ Arielle Cocozza (ALS USA)
Episode 81: PFAS, 6PPD-Quinone & the Science of Emerging Contaminants w/ Arielle Cocozza (ALS USA) Oct 5, 2026 39:55 Arielle Cocozza, National Technical PFAS Lead at ALS USA Environmental, joins David Oliva and Candi Gokey to break down the current state of PFAS analysis — from her unconventional path out of a physics degree into environmental chemistry, to standardizing PFAS methods across a national lab network.In this episode, Arielle explains what PFAS actually are and why their fluorine-carbon bonds make th
Episode 80: Untargeted Metabolomics & Ocean Chemistry with Mauricio Caraballo
Episode 80: Untargeted Metabolomics & Ocean Chemistry with Mauricio Caraballo Sep 28, 2026 01:00:56 Mauricio Caraballo, PhD, director of the MSCollaboratory at UC San Diego, joins Candi Gokey and host David Oliva to unpack how untargeted LC-MS/MS metabolomics reveals hidden chemistry in coral reefs, fish, and ocean water. They dig into molecular networking, GNPS, and how free mass spec training is helping marine scientists worldwide analyze samples they couldn't otherwise decode.Links: mscol
Episode 79: Mechanical engineer Mason Chilmonczyk on fixing mass spec's bubbles, clogs, and leaks
Episode 79: Mechanical engineer Mason Chilmonczyk on fixing mass spec's bubbles, clogs, and leaks Sep 21, 2026 30:27 Mechanical engineer Mason Chilmonczyk, PhD (Andson Biotech) joins host David Oliva to explain why sample prep — not the mass spec itself — is the biggest bottleneck in LC-MS and native MS workflows. Mason breaks down the DynaChip, a microfluidic device that shrinks hours of buffer exchange into seconds, and shares how "democratizing" mass spec is opening the door for cell therapy manufac
Episode 78: SPME, PFAS & Green Chemistry with Dr. Emanuela Gionfriddo
Episode 78: SPME, PFAS & Green Chemistry with Dr. Emanuela Gionfriddo Sep 14, 2026 33:35 Dr. Emanuela Gionfriddo, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University at Buffalo, joins host David Oliva to explore solid phase microextraction (SPME), green analytical chemistry, and PFAS analysis. Trained in Professor Janusz Pawliszyn's lab at the University of Waterloo — where SPME was invented — she shares how deep SPME theory reshaped her research and now drives her lab's work o
Episode 77: Hybrid Metabolomics Explained: Bridging Targeted & Untargeted MS with Bruker's Matthew Lewis
Episode 77: Hybrid Metabolomics Explained: Bridging Targeted & Untargeted MS with Bruker's Matthew Lewis Sep 7, 2026 46:20 On this episode of Concentrating on Chromatography, hosts David Oliva  @Organomation  and Candice Gokey are joined by Matthew Lewis  @Bruker  to unpack the new hybrid metabolomics workflow born from Bruker's acquisition of  @biocrates  .For 20 years, mass spectrometrists have had to choose between targeted quantitation and untargeted discovery. Matthew explains how chemical derivatization, high-re
Episode 76: PFAS Are Everywhere — And 99% Go Undetected | Dr. Viktoria Müller
Episode 76: PFAS Are Everywhere — And 99% Go Undetected | Dr. Viktoria Müller Aug 31, 2026 42:18 If you take a handful of dirt from the roadside, it contains PFAS. The challenge isn't finding forever chemicals — it's finding all of them. Standard monitoring methods cover 40 to 50 PFAS species. Thousands more go completely unmeasured. That's the gap Dr. Viktoria Müller has spent her career trying to close.Viktoria is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Graz specializing
Episode 75: Breathomics, Asthma & GC×GC: PH Stefanuto on Fighting the “Proof‑of‑Concept” Trap
Episode 75: Breathomics, Asthma & GC×GC: PH Stefanuto on Fighting the “Proof‑of‑Concept” Trap Aug 24, 2026 42:22 In this episode of Concentrating on Chromatography, David Oliva and co‑host Candi Gokey sit down with Dr. Pierre‑Hugues (PH) Stefanuto to explore how comprehensive GC×GC‑TOFMS breathomics is reshaping asthma research and personalized medicine. PH shares his journey from forensic applications (yes, even the “smell of death”) to non‑invasive exhaled breath analysis for chronic lung inflammation, and

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