Analytical Platforms at Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences
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618 CHIMIA 2020, 74, No. 7/8 Columns doi:10.2533/chimia.2020.618 Chimia 74 (2020) 618–628 © Swiss Chemical Society FH Universities of Applied Sciences HES Fachhochschulen – Hautes Ecoles Spécialisées Analytical Platforms at Swiss Universities of Applied ments (e.g. HPLC, MS, NMR) to follow reactions and perform Sciences quality control. Sometimes such platforms are partially orga- nized as open-access facilities, where a dedicated team maintains Christian Berchtolda, Jean-Pascal Bourgeoisb, Verena instruments and each scientist uses these open-access systems on Christena, Michal Dabrosb, Caspar Demuthd, Anika a need basis. Hoffmannc, Franka Kalmanc, Susanne Kernd, Nadia Finally, there are independent multidisciplinary analytical Marconc, Olivier Nicoletb, Marc E. Pfeiferc, Umberto platforms that run their own instruments, perform their own Piantinic, Denis Primc, Cyril Portmannb, Samuel Rothb, projects for method and instrument development and support Jean-Manuel Segurac, Olivier Vorletb, Chahan Yeretziand, other teams inside and outside the institution with analytical Mathieu Zollingerc, and Götz Schlotterbeck*a expertise and instrumentation. The techniques used in all these fields where analytical platforms play a key role, as well as *Correspondence: Prof. Dr. G. Schlotterbecka, E-mail: [email protected] aFHNW Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Hochschule für Life Sciences, how they are organized within the different institutions, is as Institut für Chemie und Bioanalytik, Hofackerstrasse 30, CH-4132 Muttenz; diverse as the different research and education models. This bHES-SO Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale, Haute école d’ingénierie article provides an overview of analytical platforms, projects et d’architecture Fribourg, Institute of Chemical Technologies, Boulevard de Pérolles 80, CH-1700 Fribourg; infrastructure and focus of the Universities of Applied Science cHES-SO Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, across Switzerland. Institute of Life Technologies, Route du Rawyl 64, CH-1950 Sion 2; dZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, CH-8820 FHNW Muttenz Wädenswil The School of Life Sciences conducts research and educa- tion along the entire healthcare and value creation chain. The Abstract: Numerous projects and industrial and academic col- spectrum ranges from the development of medical products and laborations benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and expertise drugs, technologies and production processes through to their in analytical chemistry available at the Swiss Universities of production and market launch. An additional focus is the devel- Applied Sciences. This review summarizes areas of expertise opment of resource-saving technologies and environmental pro- in analytical sciences at the University of Applied Sciences cedures. The research is organized within four institutes and each and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), the University of runs its own infrastructure for analytical support, development Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO), and and training. the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). We briefly TheinstituteforMedicalEngineeringandMedicalInformatics discuss selected projects in different fields of analytical sci- (IM2) needs mostly surface analytical tools (e.g. REM, ultra- ences sound, X-ray diffraction) for the development of functional ma- terials, implant design and Biofabrication (3D-Bioprinting). Keywords: Analytical chemistry · Applied Research · The Institute of Pharma technology (IPT) conducts research Bioanalytics · DAR · Diagnostics · Next-generation point-of-care into new technologies and methods for pharmaceutical products. diagnostic systems · Universities of Applied Sciences The fields are bioprocess technology, drug delivery and PK/PD, formulation and devices for active chemical and biological sub- Introduction stances, oral formulations of chemical drugs and production pro- Analytical platforms are highly interdisciplinary and are of cesses and techniques. Among other technologies, LC-MS and great importance to support all fields of research. The technol- capillary electrophoresis are used for quality control processes ogy and instrumentation, based on sophisticated and expensive and to investigate effects of drugs and formulations on organisms infrastructure, is as important as the experts who know how to within cell models. Neither IM2 nor IPT runs a dedicated analyti- use, improve and optimize the techniques as well as to support cal platform. Their instruments are specifically located among the interpretation of results. In the focus of the Universities of the teams who need them as tools and use the other platforms of Applied Science for education and research, it is important to the other institutes in collaboration. provide state-of-the-art technology to train students in applied The Institute for Ecopreneurship (IEC) for environment and research and to support their own research projects. The main resources performs research and education in the fields of envi- difference to classical universities is the reduced need for cutting- ronmental and water technologies, environmental biotechnology, edge instrumentation for fundamental research (like ultra-high ecotoxicology and sustainable resources management. This insti- field NMR spectrometers or ultra-high resolution mass spectrom- tute provide the main platform for inorganic, elemental analysis eters). Robust state-of-the-art technologies for business oriented (e.g. LC-QQQ-ICP-MS, laser ablation, ICP-OES, µXRF, XRF, and applied research are needed instead. However, the analytical SEM, EVO SEM). For organic analysis an additional platform platforms at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Switzerland is present for direct support (e.g. LC, LC-OCD, LC-MSn - QqQ are extremely diverse according to their focus, purpose and and Ion Trap, GC-MS, MALDI-TOF). The radioisotope analysis needs. The purely supporting platforms such as NMR- and mass platform is also integrated within a specialized radiology labo- spec. services, which are run by dedicated experts within the in- ratory (14C and 3H, liquid scintillation, autoradiography, HPLC stitutions as a routine service, is one common approach. Another with liquid scintillation detector, sample Oxidizer). Molecular bi- setting is the distribution of instruments within each institute as ology (quantitative PCR, next generation sequencing platforms, dedicated support for experts in other fields. This means for ex- electrophoresis), which also supports other institutes, is also lo- ample that researchers in organic chemistry run their own instru- cated at the IEC. Columns CHIMIA 2020, 74, No. 7/8 619 The Institute for Chemistry and Bioanalytics (ICB) provides research in synthesis and medical chemistry, nanomaterials and surfaces molecular nanotechnology, process engineering and technology, in vitro diagnostics, DNA and RNA diagnostics, pro- tein and tissue engineering, cell biology and toxicology as well as instrumental analytics. A large analytical platform for nanomaterials and surfaces molecular nanotechnology such as a variety of microscopes (e.g. TEM, SEM, EDX, AFM, infrared- and Raman imaging, LEXT), spectroscopy and other technologies (e.g. µCT) is located in the group of Prof. Dr. Uwe Pieles and were described already last year in an article about material sciences.[1] DNA and RNA diagnostics, cell biology and toxicology focus Fig. 1. Left: The visual appearance of the used SH-SY5Y (neuronal on molecular techniques such as qPCR or NGS. This platform is cells). In the middle, mass spectra of single cell metabolites by LC-MS (targeted triple quad). Right: The remaining proteins on the microscope highly cooperative and overlaps with the platform at the Institute slide detected by fluorescent antibodies in an IR-scanner. of Ecopreneurship (IEC). For the development of point of care devices (for in vitro diag- nostics), surface plasmon resonance and bio-layer interferometry spectrometry coupling was developed by CAMAG (https://dbs. play a key role as analytical tools. Therefore, a dedicated plat- camag.com/dbs-ms-500; Fig. 2). In a joint effort between the form for the analysis of protein–ligand interactions exists as well. University of Applied Sciences FHNW, the newborn screening The group of Prof. Dr. Götz Schlotterbeck represents the laboratory of the children’s Hospital Zürich and CAMAG, a new main analytical research and runs the instrumental analytical in- mass spectrometry-based screening method for amino acids, ac- frastructure of HPLC, GC, LC-MS, GC-MS and NMR (400 MHz ylcarnitins, and steroids was developed and implemented (CTI NMR, LC/GC single quads, LC/GC triple quad, GC-TOF, LC-Q- Project: 16898.1 PFLS-LS).[5–7] TOF, LC - Ion Trap and OrbiTrap). These techniques are not only support for the other groups within the institute and FHNW (e.g. for medical chemistry or chemical engineering), also analytical research and training for diagnostics, food and environmental analytics, structure elucidation, metabolomics and proteomics is done there. The following exemplary projects show some typical collaborations between external partners and several institutes in analytical chemistry and are exemplary for the research per- formed at FHNW. Targeted, Correlative Single-cell Proteomics and Metabolomics The characterization of the metabolite and protein expression on a single-cell level are important