My Lab Essentials: Dr Pam Doolittle, University of Wisconsin-Madison

As the Director of Analytical Sciences Undergraduate laboratories at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, Dr Pam Doolittle is responsible for training undergraduate students in the techniques used by analytical chemists. In this article, she shares her expertise in analytical chemistry by explaining the lab equipment she uses to teach the chemists of the future. Here are Dr Pam Doolittle’s lab essentials:

1. Shimadzu HPLC systems with four solvent selection valve, autosampler, UV-VIS and fluorescence detection.

As instrumentation has continued to evolve towards increased automation – which reduces the amount of time and tasks a typical user would actually interact with the instrument – understanding the front-end preparation of samples has become increasingly important. A shift to using an instrument with these capabilities allows us to preserve active experiences in analytical separations. It also allows us to expand the training we provide students to include methods (such as SPE) for sample preparation, derivatization of samples for fluorescence detection, spike recovery to explore matrix effects, and performing a rigorous statistical analysis of a pooled set of data.

2. SmartPrep SPE from Horizon Technology.

In the way we’ve implemented in our labs using Horizon’s SmartPrep instrument, the samples are very clean. Our published results show that using automation of SPE we developed for the SmartPrep Extractor, we not only realized time savings compared to traditional SPE methods, but also the samples are cleaner, which means an increase in our sensitivity for ID and quantitation.

3. AB204S Analytical Balance from METTLER-TOLEDO.

This instrument is ultimately the heart of every measurement an analytical chemist carries out. These balances are designed to be user-friendly, yet rugged enough to remain reliable for hundreds of students to use every year. The current suite of balances I have in my labs have retained their standards for almost 10 years. They are great balances.

4. Fisher Brand Minicentrifuge.

Several of our recent laboratory projects explore the generation of nanomaterials. We often analyze the supernatant, so we need to do a quick separation of the particles using these little spinners. These centrifuges are inexpensive, rugged and don’t take a lot of space on the bench.

5. Vernier LabQuests with various probes and attachments.

Our students use these units to make a variety of chemical measurements. They are portable, since the DAQ unit is approximately the size of a calculator and the spectrometers are about the size of wallet. They are of rugged construction and stand up to student use (and abuse). One of our really neat lab experiments involves the students making their own automatic titrator, which is constructed by coordinating a volume delivery system with a pH meter. Students first mathematically model what the titration curve of an unknown acid should look like, using principles for acid-base equilibrium, and then they collect the titration curve to compare results. Illustrating to students how to verify a mathematical model by designing an experiment is a very powerful teaching tool.

6. Gow-Mac Instruments series 400 GCs

We use these to introduce GC methods; they are easy to set up and troubleshoot. Gow-Mac provides you with the service manual and circuit diagrams which is great. It's one of the few pieces of equipment that I can service myself without having to consult with an authorized technician, who is the only one capable of handling proprietary parts and software needed to fix it.

To learn more about the work that Dr Pam Doolittle does with her students and how they analyze mycotoxins, read this article.