The Chromatography Facility at the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas was established in 1988 to meet the analytical needs of both internal users and those from other research centers and institutions. In 2023, the current Chromatography  and Mass Spectrometry Facility (CEM-CIB) was created as an expansion of the former Gas Chromatography Facility, following the incorporation of new equipment for both gas and liquid chromatography.

Chromatography is used for the separation, identification, and quantification of substances present in complex mixtures. When coupled with mass spectrometry, the technique allows additional information to be obtained regarding the molecular mass and structure of the analyzed compounds, thereby significantly enhancing analytical capabilities.

Some of the applications carried out at the Facility include:

 

Gas Chromatography:

Separation and characterization of:

  • Carbohydrates:
    • TMS derivatives/oximes
    • Alditol acetates
  • Volatile fatty acids
  • General trimethylsilyl derivatives
  • Essential oils
  • Steroids
  • Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)

 

 Liquid Chromatography:

  • Protein purification
  • Purification of organic compounds
  • Metabolomics
  • Determination of molecular weight, size, and structure of polymers (GPC)

Other protocols can be optimized upon request depending on user needs.

 

Instrumentation

  • Agilent 7980A gas chromatograph with flame ionization detector (FID) and autosampler for 150 vials
  • Agilent 7980A-5975C GC-MS system for the analysis of low molecular weight volatile compounds
  • Agilent INTUVO 9000 GC with FID
  • INTUVO-MS5977B Inert Plus MSD Turbo
  • Agilent 1260 GPC/SEC MDS system for chloroform
  • Agilent 1260 INFINITY II LC/MS Single Quadrupole – MSD XT
  • Agilent 1260 INFINITY II Preparative LC System and ÄKTA pure 150M (Cytiva)
  • Agilent 1260 INFINITY II – 6546 LC/Q-TOF 2D-LC/Q-TOF system
  • Agilent 7696A Sample Prep WorkBench
 

Instructions

Internal Users

For Liquid Chromatography services, as well as for the use of GC-FID-HS equipment, users must first contact the Facility staff by email (cromatografia@cib.csic.es) or by phone (Ext. 442696).

For GC-MS equipment and LC-MS Single Quadrupole, users must book time slots using the corresponding calendar on the CIB Booking Server following the applicable GUIDELINES_0.pdf.

External Users

External users (non-CIB Margarita Salas) who wish to use the Facility must first contact the staff via email (cromatografia@cib.csic.es) or by phone (+34 911 09 80 96).

In all cases, samples must be submitted together with the corresponding completed and signed Analysis Request Form:

GC Analysis Request Form.pdf

GPC Analysis Request Form.pdf

LC Prep_AKTA Analysis Request Form.pdf

LC-MS Analysis Request Form.pdf

QTOF Analysis Request Form.pdf

 

The Facility’s fee schedules can be consulted below:

CEM Facility Fee Schedule_CIB Users.pdf

CEM Facility Fee Schedule_External Users.pdf

 

Members

Technical Staff
Leonor Rodríguez Sánchez