Analytical & Extraction Chemistry.

Our analytical and extraction chemistry group is at the heart of what we do at Conagen. In our quest to uncover metabolic pathways in nature and to develop new natural products, reliable quantification and qualification of target molecules is paramount.  The downstream processing requirements of reaction mixtures or fermentation broths are different for every product and, therefore, need to be individually optimized. We track product titer and quality at every step using the most sensitive, high-throughput analytical instruments available.

Small molecules are most often separated by simple gas chromatography or high pressure liquid chromatography and detected by flame ionization, ultraviolet/visible light absorption spectroscopy, evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD), or mass spectrometry (MS).

Larger or more complex molecules like oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and proteins require more rigorous analytical techniques such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and time-of-flight analysis (MALDI-TOF). Even larger analytes such as whole cells are analyzed and selected by various high-throughput, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) techniques.  We are always adding new analytical capabilities as the field advances and needs arise.