Did you know that the first use of chromatography dates back to 1901? This occurred when scientist Mikhail S. Tsvet recognized how plant pigments were naturally separated on a chemical level.
Well plates are a key component of the chromatography process but not everyone understands the role that they play. We put together a brief guide to help elucidate this topic.
Let’s dive in.
So, How Are Well Plates Used?
Well plates are used to hold and dispense liquid samples during chromatography.
Each well plate has a number of small, shallow wells that can each hold a few microliters of sample. The samples are loaded into the wells and then moved through the chromatography column by a moving head or another automated system.
As the sample moves through the column, the different components of the sample are separated out. The separated components then pass through a detector, which measures the amount of each component in the sample.
The data from the detector is then used to generate a chromatogram, which is a graphical representation of the separation of the different components in the sample.
Well plates are an essential part of high-throughput chromatography, as they allow for large numbers of samples to be processed in a relatively short period of time.
This is especially important in research applications where thousands of samples may need to be analyzed.
What Are the Different Types of Well Plates?
There are a few different types of well plates that are commonly used in chromatography.
The most common type is the 96-well plate, which has 96 wells arranged in a 12 by 8 grid.
96 well plates are generally used for samples that do not require a lot of samples, such as when only a few microliters of samples are available.
Another common type of well plate is the 384 well plate, which has 384 wells arranged in a 16 by 24 grid.
384 well plates are generally used for samples that require more samples, such as when larger amounts of samples are available.
You can check out chromtech.com to learn more about the 96 well plate.
What Are the Advantages of Using Well Plates?
There are a few advantages of using well plates. First, well plates allow for large numbers of samples to be processed in a relatively short period of time.
This is especially important in research applications where thousands of samples may need to be analyzed. Second, well plates minimize the amount of sample that is required.
This is because each well only holds a few microliters of sample. This is important in applications where the samples are expensive or difficult to obtain. Well plates allow for easy and accurate transfer of samples.
This is because the wells are shallow and have a uniform depth. This allows for an automated system to easily and accurately transfer the samples from the wells to the chromatography column.
What Are the Disadvantages of Using Well Plates?
There are a few disadvantages of using well plates. First, well plates can be expensive.
This is because they are generally made of glass or plastic and require special manufacturing processes. Well plates can also be difficult to use. This is because the wells are shallow and have a uniform depth.
This can make it difficult to load the samples into the wells without spillage. Finally, well plates can be fragile and break easily.
This is because they are often made of glass or plastic instead of metal. Despite these disadvantages, well plates are still the best option for high-throughput chromatography. This is because they offer the best combination of speed, accuracy, and sample capacity.
What Are the Different Types of Detectors?
The most common type of detector is the ultraviolet (UV) detector.UV detectors work by measuring the absorbance of UV light by the sample.
The amount of absorbance is then used to calculate the concentration of the different components in the sample. Another common type of detector is the fluorescence detector.
These work by measuring the amount of fluorescence emitted by the sample. The amount of fluorescence is then used to calculate the concentration of the different components in the sample.
Yet another detector is the refractive index (RI) detector.
RI detectors work by measuring the change in the refractive index of the sample.
The change in refractive index is then used to calculate the concentration of the different components in the sample. Finally, there is also mass spectrometry (MS) detectors.
These work by ionizing the sample and then measuring the masses of the ions. The masses of the ions are then used to calculate the concentration of the different components in the sample.
Which Detector Should I Use?
The type of detector that you should use depends on the application. If you are only interested in measuring the concentration of one or two components, then a UV or fluorescence detector will probably be sufficient.
You should also consider using an RI detector if you need to measure the concentrations of a large number of components. If you need to measure the concentrations of all the components in a sample, then you will probably need to use an MS detector.
Well Plates Don’t Have to Be Complicated
Although well plates might seem difficult to understand at first, they’re much easier than you might anticipate. Keep the above tips in mind when moving forward so you can avoid mistakes.
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