The Week 62 Forensic Science Geek of the Week is Announced

The Forensic Science Geek of the Week

Please visit the www.TheTruthAboutForensicScience.com FaceBook fan page.

Forensic Science Geek of the Week

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
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

Week 11: Brian Manchester, Esquire

Week 12: Ron Moore, B.S., J.D.

Week 13: Ron Moore, B.S., J.D.

Week 14: Josh D, Lee, Esquire

Week 15: Joshua Dale, Esquire and Steven W. Hernandez, Esquire

Week 16: Christine Funk, Esquire

Week 17: Joshua Dale, Esquire

Week 18: Glen Neeley, Esquire

Week 19: Amanda Bynum, Esquire

Week 20: Josh D. Lee, Esquire

Week 21: Glen Neeley, Esquire

Week 22:  Stephen Daniels

Week 23:  Ron Moore, B.S., J.D.

Week 24: Bobby Spinks

Week 25:  Jon Woolsey, Esquire

Week 26: Mehul B. Anjaria

Week 27: Richard Middlebrook, Esquire

Week 28:Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 29: Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 30: C. Jeffrey Sifers, Esquire

Week 31: Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 32: Mehul B. Anjaria

Week 33: Andy Johnston

Week 34: Ralph R. Ristenbatt, III

Week 35: Brian Manchester, Esquire

Week 36: Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 37: Jeffrey Benson

Week 38: Pam King, Esquire

Week 39: Josh D. Lee, Esquire

Week 40: Robert Lantz, Ph.D.

WEEK 41: UNCLAIMED, IT COULD BE YOU!

Week 42: Steven W. Hernandez, Esquire

Week 43:Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 44: Mehul B. Anjaria

Week 45: Mehul B. Anjaria

Week 46:Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 47:Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 48: Leslie M. Sammis, Esquire

Week 49: Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 50: Jeffery Benson

Week 51: Mehul B. Anjaria

Week 52: Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 53: Eric Ganci, Esquire

Week 54: Charles Sifers, Esquire and Tim Huey, Esquire

Week 55: Joshua Andor, Esquire

Week 56: Brian Manchester, Esquire

Week 57: Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 58: Eric Ganci, Esquire

Week 59: Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 60: Brian Manchester, Esquire

Week 61: William Herringer, Esquire

Week 62: Robert Lantz, Ph.D.

Week 63: Ginger Moss

Week 64: Richard L. Holcomb, Esquire

Week 65: John L. Buckley, Esquire

Week 66: Jeff Sifers, Esquire

Week 67: Josh D. Lee, Esquire

Week 68: Dr. Barbara Vonderhaar, PhD.

Week 69: Christine Funk, Esquire

Week 70: Mehul B. Anjaria

Week 71: Ron Moore, Esquire

Week 72: Mehul B. Anjaria

Week 73: Josh D. Lee, Esquire

Week 74: Kim Keheley Frye, Esquire

Week 75: Mehul B. Anjaria and Peter Carini, Esquire

Week 76: Kim Keheley Frye, Esquire

Week 77: Mehul B. Anjaria

Week 78: Steven W. Hernandez, Esquire

Week 79: Kevin Feeney, Esquire

Week 8o: Justin Harris, Esquire

Week 81: UNCLAIMED. IT COULD BE YOU!

Week 82: Jay Tiftickjian, Esquire

Week 83: Robert Lantz, Ph.D.

Week 84: Steven W. Hernandez, Esquire

Week 85: Pat Arata, Esquire

Week 86: George Schiro

Week 87: Jay Tiftickjian, Esquire

Week 88: Rocky Babson, Esquire

Week 89: UNCLAIMED. IT COULD BE YOU.

Week 90: Joseph Rome, Esquire

Week 91: Chuck Ramsay, Esquire

Week 92: Laura Magnuson

Week 93: John L. Buckley, Esquire

Week 94: Unclaimed. It could be you!

Week 95: George Schiro

Week 96: Robert Lantz, Ph.D.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *