Research

Although scientists have been practicing modern Liquid Chromatography (LC) for more than 50 years, there still are several aspects of the technique that are not fully understood. These include incomplete understanding of retention mechanisms (i.e., what factors control the extent to which a molecule is retained under certain operating conditions?), and separation dynamics (e.g., what intraparticle pore sizes are needed for efficient separations of oligonucleotides?). In our work we aim to address these fundamental questions so that we have the knowledge required to advance the field. We cannot control what we don't understand.

The Stoll Laboratory is primarily focused on advancing the state of the art of two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC). Making these advances requires work on all facets of the technique, including column characterization, instrument (e.g., Active Solvent Modulation) and methodology (e.g., selective comprehensive 2D separation) development, data analysis strategies, and application development. Currently, or primary application focus is on the development of methods for characterization of biopharmaceuticals, including peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides.

As time goes on, the impacts  that humans have on the environment become more clear. While some major problems have already been addressed, there are many that still need to be investigated. One project that the Stoll Lab has been working on is the characterization of green(er) alternatives for solvents used in chemical analysis.

One of the reasons reversed-phase LC is so versatile is that there are over 1,000 commercially available stationary phases useful for revsered-phase separations. The challenge associated with this depth of choices, though, is that it can be difficult to know which one to choose, or which ones to try. In the early 2000's, Snyder, Dolan, and Carr initiated the so-called PQRI Database of Reversed-Phase Column Selectivity. In the Stoll Laboratory we are carrying this project forward, by continuing to characterize new columns, and by exploring new ways of using the existing data, and leveraging the database in the future. Click the button below to check out the database.