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This course offers a well-designed combination of lecture and hands-on laboratory training. Students gain sufficient theoretical and practical background to perform independent work in liquid chromatography.
The three day course encompasses all major areas of liquid chromatography and related sample preparation techniques likely to be encountered by workers practicing in the field.
Experts active in the field of liquid chromatography lead the course and laboratory sessions.
A full day of intensive laboratory experiments gives the students, working as small teams, invaluable hands-on experience.
The latest high performance UHPLC/HPLC equipment, supplied by leading manufacturers, comprise the chromatographic instrumentation for students to use during the lab sessions. Technical experts from the various companies will guide students through the operation of the system.
Registration Deadline: September 30, 2025
Includes text, supplies, and lunches
Early Registration Discount (August 1 – August 31): $1100
Registration Fee after August 31: $1195
Student Price: $500
Location: Roosevelt University, 1400 N Roosevelt Blvd Schaumburg, IL 60173
Course is October 7- 9, 2025
8 am – 5pm each day
Printed course material is provided, at no extra cost to the student, by the Chicago Chromatography Discussion Group.
Course Instructor:Merlin K. L. Bicking, Ph.D.Woodbury, MN 55125Phone: (651) 731-3670 Fax: (651) 730-0965
Education:
- Bachelor of Science – Chemistry
- University of Wisconsin – River Falls, WI
- Doctor of Philosophy – Organic-Analytical Chemistry
- Iowa State University – Ames, IA
Dr. Merlin Bicking is the founder of ACCTA, Inc., an analytical chemistry training and consulting firm. With more than 30 years of post-graduate experience in academia, contract research, contract laboratory, and independent consulting, he provides basic through advanced level training on laboratory skills and use of analytical equipment. His expertise includes analytical separations, method development, and problem-solving, using a wide range of techniques including HPLC, GC, GC/MS, SFE, SFC, FTIR, NMR, and absorbance spectrophotometry. Dr. Bicking received a BS in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and a Ph.D. in Organic-Analytical Chemistry from Iowa State University.
Register Here
Last Updated: January 9, 2026 by CCDG Leave a Comment
Rapid LC-MS/MS evaluation of collagen and elastin crosslinks in human and mouse lung tissue
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Join us for a dinner and networking event Wednesday February 25, 2026 at the Westwood Tavern in Schaumburg, IL. The lecture will be presented by Elizabeth Sande. This presentation describes a rapid, efficient method for analyzing post-translational crosslinking in the extracellular matrix, which is crucial for understanding fibrotic diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). By streamlining LC-MS/MS sample analysis to just two minutes and introducing a tissue-based surrogate matrix for dihydroxylysinonorleucine (DHLNL), the process is less labor-intensive and provides more accurate quantification. Application of this method revealed elevated DHLNL levels in both IPF patient lung tissue and a fibrotic mouse model compared to controls. Importantly, treatment with an anti-fibrotic compound reduced DHLNL levels, indicating the assay’s potential utility for evaluating drug efficacy in fibrosis.
Elizabeth is currently a Scientist II at AbbVie within the High-Throughput, Automation, Bioassay, BioAnalysis (HT-ABBA) group, with a combined decade of hands-on experience in instrumentation and chromatography utilizing LC-MS/MS. She holds a master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences with a concentration in forensic science from the University of Florida obtained in 2021. Working in a variety of industries such as food, toxicology, and pharmaceuticals has fostered her career and love of separation science.
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Last Updated: December 16, 2025 by CCDG Leave a Comment
Happy Holidays from CCDG. We look forward to more great events in 2026!
Last Updated: October 17, 2025 by CCDG Leave a Comment
CCDG Dinner Lecture: A Method for Emerging Contaminants from Tire Particles in Salmon
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Featured Speaker: Don Shelly
Location: Westwood Tavern Schaumburg, IL
Date: Wednesday November 5, 2025
Time: 6pm – 9pm
Join us before the Dinner Lecture from 6 pm to 6:30 pm for a Happy Half Hour of networking and fun!
This presentation will discuss the development of a novel method for analyzing salmon for the pollutant 6PPD-Quinone. 6PPD-Q was pinpointed in 2020 as the cause of mysterious mass deaths of coho salmon in the Pacific Northwest. Fish exposed to it showed erratic behavior and died before spawning. Although coho salmon are the best-known victims of this poison, other species may also be at risk, and environmental toxicologists are still investigating the broader ecological consequences.
Don Shelly has over 35 years of experience in the analytical chemistry industry, including over 15 years as a bench chemist in contract laboratories. He’s seen every problem and knows how to fix them. Don is a world-renowned expert in solid-phase extraction and extract cleanup. He has authored publications on QuEChERS cleanup, solid-phase extraction, and reference material usage. Don has years of experience in tracking down and eliminating laboratory contamination.
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Last Updated: August 5, 2025 by CCDG Leave a Comment
CCDG HPLC School 2025
Register Here
This course offers a well-designed combination of lecture and hands-on laboratory training. Students gain sufficient theoretical and practical background to perform independent work in liquid chromatography.
The three day course encompasses all major areas of liquid chromatography and related sample preparation techniques likely to be encountered by workers practicing in the field.
Experts active in the field of liquid chromatography lead the course and laboratory sessions.
A full day of intensive laboratory experiments gives the students, working as small teams, invaluable hands-on experience.
The latest high performance UHPLC/HPLC equipment, supplied by leading manufacturers, comprise the chromatographic instrumentation for students to use during the lab sessions. Technical experts from the various companies will guide students through the operation of the system.
Registration Deadline: September 30, 2025
Includes text, supplies, and lunches
Early Registration Discount (August 1 – August 31): $1100
Registration Fee after August 31: $1195
Student Price: $500
Location: Roosevelt University, 1400 N Roosevelt Blvd Schaumburg, IL 60173
Course is October 7- 9, 2025
8 am – 5pm each day
Printed course material is provided, at no extra cost to the student, by the Chicago Chromatography Discussion Group.
Course Instructor:Merlin K. L. Bicking, Ph.D.Woodbury, MN 55125Phone: (651) 731-3670 Fax: (651) 730-0965
Education:
Dr. Merlin Bicking is the founder of ACCTA, Inc., an analytical chemistry training and consulting firm. With more than 30 years of post-graduate experience in academia, contract research, contract laboratory, and independent consulting, he provides basic through advanced level training on laboratory skills and use of analytical equipment. His expertise includes analytical separations, method development, and problem-solving, using a wide range of techniques including HPLC, GC, GC/MS, SFE, SFC, FTIR, NMR, and absorbance spectrophotometry. Dr. Bicking received a BS in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and a Ph.D. in Organic-Analytical Chemistry from Iowa State University.
Register Here
Posted: August 1, 2025 by CCDG Leave a Comment
CCDG Dinner Lecture: Perkin Elmer’s QSight500 LC-MS/MS with StayClean
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Join us for a dinner and networking event Wednesday September 10, 2025 at the Westwood Tavern in Schaumburg, IL. The lecture, presented by Autumn Payne, will cover learnings and insights of the newly released QSight500 UHPLC-triple quadrupole system, focusing on StayCleanTM technology that allows for increased robustness, better ion transmission, less contamination buildup and less required maintenance. StayCleanTM Ion Source is designed to handle increased matrix components while overcoming contamination buildup and avoiding subsequent interferences. The instrument performance will be highlighted by a variety of studies testing for robustness, and applications that Perkin Elmer has successfully implemented, including pesticide/herbicide/fungicide analysis and PFAS analysis in a variety of dirty matrices.
Bio:
Autumn Payne is a Field Application Scientist currently working at Perkin Elmer, specializing in LC and LC-MS/MS applications. She has been with the company for three years and is based out of Kalamazoo Michigan. Her previous experiences were as a lab manager and analyst in environmental testing laboratories. She operated a variety of instruments (ICP-OES, ICP-MS, GFAA, HPLC-UV, UHPLC-MS/MS, GC-FTIR, GC-MS) for the analysis of plants, drinking water and wastewater samples. She has a passion for delivering clean and safe products that are quality tested for potential contaminants of concern. She also values providing support for laboratories through the learning process with new instruments. In her free time, she enjoys adventuring outdoors and spending quality time with loved ones and her two handsome cats.
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Last Updated: July 30, 2025 by CCDG Leave a Comment
Save the Date! 2025 CCDG: AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE IN LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY
Registration Details Coming Soon !
October 7 – 9, 2025
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Roosevelt University, Schaumburg Campus
1400 N Roosevelt Boulevard Schaumburg, IL 60173
Instructor: Merlin K. L. Bicking, PhD
Description
This course provides comprehensive theoretical and practical instruction to enable independent work in liquid chromatography. 2 days in the classroom are followed by a day in the laboratory where students, guided by representatives by all leading LC vendors, put into practice what they’ve learned.
Early Registration Discount
$ 1100 August 1 – August 31
$1195 after August 31
Students $500.00
Registration Details Coming Soon !
For questions, contact rich_demuro@waters.com
Last Updated: December 16, 2025 by CCDG Leave a Comment
RSVP for Waters Corp: Spooktacular Open House!
Last Updated: August 5, 2025 by CCDG Leave a Comment
CCDG Dinner Lecture: Solid-Phase Extraction: All C18s Are Not the Same
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Join us for a dinner and networking event Wednesday April 16, 2025 at the Westwood Tavern in Schaumburg, IL. The lecture, presented by Don Shelly, will cover learnings and insights on how all C18s are not created equal in solid-phase extraction. This presentation will present blind performance data from multiple sorbent manufacturers’ C18s and how their C18s compare under duplicate extraction conditions. Other helpful information will be included.
Last Updated: August 5, 2025 by CCDG Leave a Comment
CCDG Dinner Lecture: Streamlining the Complexities of Method Development
Join us for a dinner and networking event Thursday March 13, 2025 at the Westwood Tavern in Schaumburg, IL. The lecture, presented by Nivesh Mittal, will cover learnings and insights on a cutting-edge platform designed to streamline the complexities of method development.
REGISTER HERE
Driven by the recent revisions in ICH Q2(R2) and the introduction of Q14, the adoption of Analytical Quality by Design (AQbD) principles has become increasingly critical for analytical method development . This risk-based approach emphasizes a thorough understanding of analytical methods through systematic experimentation, including Design of Experiments (DoE) and the establishment of a design space to elucidate the impact of method parameters on analytical results. This paradigm shift facilitates the development of robust and reliable methods with minimized risk, independent of an analyst’s experience.
LabSolutions MD is a cutting-edge AQbD-driven platform designed to streamline the complexities of method development. By simplifying the critical phases of method development—screening, optimization, and robustness testing—LabSolutions MD empowers users to navigate the challenges of traditional method development with ease. This presentation will delve into the limitations of manual method development and showcase how LabSolutions MD provides innovative tools to overcome these obstacles. Furthermore, real-world case studies from the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sectors will be presented, highlighting the successful implementation of LabSolutions MD in diverse analytical workflows.
Last Updated: August 5, 2025 by CCDG Leave a Comment
Upcoming! CCDG Dinner Lecture: Food packaging and LCMS risk analysis
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Join us for a dinner and networking event Wednesday December 4, 2024 at the Westwood Tavern in Schaumburg, IL. The lecture, presented by Natasha Hausler Banke PhD, will cover learnings and insights on In-Situ analysis of the presence of a photoinitiator after curing.
Over the past few years, regulatory reclassifications have continued to change how ink manufacturers world-wide formulate UV cured inks. Adding a chemical to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) list triggers changes in regulatory reporting. Manufacturers and importers of articles which contain the SVHC become legally required to notify customers/consumers if the concentration is greater than 0.1% w/w. In addition, ECHA must be notified if the total amount of SVHC imported into an EU country is greater than 1 metric ton/ year. While inclusion on the list is not a ban on use, it has this effect for ink manufacturers. For example, member companies of the European Printing Ink Association (EuPIA) agree to abide by the Exclusion Policy, which requires formulating inks away from the use of an SVHC. Additionally, brand owners may have similar requirements for packaging and printing inks. Under general exclusions for ink formulations, the Nestlé guidance states an SVHC “must not be used where suitable alternatives exist.” In contrast to some European regulations, the USFDA does not explicitly regulate the contents of printing ink. However, the USFDA does regulate the food additives. Subsequently, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer of a food contact substance (FCS) to ensure the FCM is consistent with applicable authorizations and does not adulterate food.
Differing regulations between Europe and the US frequently lead to fit-for-use questions of ink formulations. We are commonly asked what substances are acceptable for use and what residual ink components are present in the matrix of the cured print. In response to previous customer questions and regulatory changes, INX has undertaken several studies to evaluate exposure of an SVHC during the manufacturing process. As an extension of previously completed work, the current study evaluates the presence of residual PI369 in a cured print and determine if that print contains levels of the residual SVHC above labeling requirements in the EU (0.1%).
Natasha Hausler Banke, PhD – Director, Analytical R&D INX International Ink Company
LC School Reviews
“I now have a better understanding of how HPLC works and why column choice is so important.”
“It is a fantastic course for learning the theory of LC and method development”
“The instructor, Merlin Bicking, is very helpful. It was great to see how wiling he is to answer questions and all the variety of methods he worked on.”
“I am just beginning my position from out of school. I found the course very insightful in terms of preparation for my future career”
“It is very useful for me because having hands on experience, which helped me to understand more of HPLC.”
“Great class. Would easily take again and recommend Dr. Merlin anytime. Would love to take his other courses. If he had a book would quickly buy for reference.”