New `Masterclass in Modern HPLC` for 2010

New for 2010 is a programme of 6 x 1 day Advanced HPLC courses, which are being run one day every two months at six locations around the UK in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester and Edinburgh.

The six courses combine to provide a Masterclass in Modern HPLC:
Advanced HPLC 1: The Science behind HPLC
Advanced HPLC 2: HPLC Columns
Advanced HPLC 3: HPLC Detection
Advanced HPLC 4: Eluent Composition and Optimisation
Advanced HPLC 5: Integration & Calibration
Advanced HPLC 6: HPLC Instrumentation

For the full programme, plus dates, costs, discounts and a booking form, please follow this link:
http://www.hplccourses.com/StuartJonesHPLCAcademy-MasterclassinModernHPLC.htm

Each course has its own course certificate and can be taken individually. However the programme is designed for professional analysts wishing to advance and update their knowledge, and it is expected that most will book the set of six courses. This carries an added incentive of a 33% discount, and a Certificate for the ‘Masterclass in Modern HPLC’ in addition to the individual course certificates.

The individual courses can be taken in any order, and a different course will be presented in each location, rotating round once every two months. This means that if you are unable to attend one of the courses, there will be five other opportunities to catch up at other locations during the year. For the course calendar, please see the following link: http://www.hplccourses.com/StuartJonesHPLCAcademy-CourseCalendar.htm

If a company has four or more analysts that wish to take this program, we will run an extra series of courses on site. Details of on-site possibilities are available on the following link: http://www.hplccourses.com/StuartJonesHPLCAcademy-On-siteCourses.htm

Courses cover HPLC as a technique and are applicable to all makes of HPLC equipment.

These courses are accredited by various professional bodies for CPD points (Continuous Professional Development), which is increasingly required for obtaining or maintaining membership of a professional body.

In the current climate it is hard to justify long periods away from the office or lab, and money is tight. These courses require a commitment of only one day every two months, with no long distance travelling and no overnight stays in hotels. And if you book the series, the last two courses are free!

Try the following short test!
1. How could you tell from the chromatogram that a detector lamp needs changing?
2. If your retention times varied a little from one injection to the next, what is the first thing you should do?
3. What are the three major advantages of a phenyl column?
4. How would you determine the start and end point of a gradient?
5. Could you list the five major causes of baseline noise and say how you would minimise them?
6. Apart from being thrown from an upstairs window in frustration, could you list the major threats which can damage an HPLC system?
7. Why are 3 or 5u packing materials so dangerous to handle?
8. Could you list the five major advances in HPLC since 2000?
9. Could you give two instances where Standard Addition Calibration is required?
10. When is it valid to integrate by height instead of area, and when is it preferable to do so?
11. The pump is running, the waste drop rate is normal, the back pressure is about 500psi lower than usual, and the peaks (but not the solvent front) are eluting early. Can you list the two most likely causes?

Not every analyst needs to know the answers to the above questions. But it is reassuring when they do, and very motivating for them. A good understanding of how an HPLC works can only be a good thing, in terms of quality of results, reduced downtime, and the ability to quantify errors and express confidence in results. In the unlikely event of staff being made redundant, it is very helpful for them to have this Masterclass in Modern HPLC on their CV! So it makes a very positive contribution to any redundancy package