The Week 62 Forensic Science Geek of the Week is Announced

The Forensic Science Geek of the Week

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The week 62 “www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week” honors goes to: Robert Lantz, Ph.D.

According to his website (Rocky Mountain Instrumentation Laboratories):

We provide contract chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis (HPLC/MS) of pharmaceuticals (both traditional drugs and biotechnology products, such as proteins and peptides and oligonucleotides), veterinary and human endocrinology, and forensic toxicology, including fentanyl, T HC, tryptamines, and other forensic testing and testimony. We now offer assays for certain antibiotics (cephalosporins and aminoglycosides) and the insecticide Fipronil. We develop stability-indicating assays, including degradant identification, for the pharmaceutical industry. We also provide therapeutic drug monitoring for several less-common drugs, such as Taxol, Doxorubicin, Tacrolimus, rapamycin ( Sirolimus.) and Everolimus. Everything that we do is centered about and united by chemical testing. We offer HPLC/MS/MS, HPLC/PDA, GC/MS/MS, FT/IR, Dissolution, and Stability Testing. We are FDA registered and inspected, follow cGLP protocols, and are CLIA certified. We also are certified by the Colorado Department of Health to perform clinical and forensic toxicology testing. We also have a number of LCMSMS analyses for antibiotics, such as cephapirin, amoxicillin, and vancomycin. We provide both clinical and pre-clinical method development and performance. Robert K. Lantz, Ph.D. and Patricia L. Sulik, Ph.D. are the directors of RML.

Congratulations to our Forensic Science Geek of the Week winner

OFFICIAL QUESTION:

: Forensic Science Geek of the Week Challenge

1. What specific technique is depicted in this photo?

2. Why is it performed?

3. Explain it.

4. What are its limitations?

Our Geek of the Week answered:

It is a ThermoFinnigan GCMS system, with autosampler. The GC is used to separate the volatile components in the pill extract. If the compound is not volatile or gives an uninteresting MS, derivatization can be used to make the substance more volatile or have a more definitive MS.

GC has much better resolution potential than does LC (HPLC), so the retention time for the analyte compound is more informative.

The limitations of the system include the lack of MSMS capability, and the common problem with all GC experiments, that the analyte must be volatile. I do not own this particular instrument, so I cannot speak to other features of this model. If it is an ion trap MS, some have an MSMS option.

Some analytes, such as methampehtamine provide non-characteristic mass spectra and may not separate from likely interferences, such as phentermine. Derivatization will, in this case, improve both the usefulness of the MS and the retention time. That is, the MS of meth and phentermine are identical. However, if the molecules are derivatized, the MS are quite different, as are the retention times.

[BLOGGER’S NOTE: Great answer. Thanks for participating.]

The Hall of Fame for the www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com Forensic Science Geek of the Week:

Week 1: Chuck Ramsay, Esquire

Week 2: Rick McIndoe, PhD

Week 3: Christine Funk, Esquire

Week 4: Stephen Daniels

Week 5: Stephen Daniels

Week 6: Richard Middlebrook, Esquire

Week 7: Christine Funk, Esquire

Week 8: Ron Moore, B.S., J.D.

Week 9: Ron Moore, B.S., J.D.

Week 10: Kelly Case, Esquire and Michael Dye, Esquire