A gas chromatography guard column assembly is disclosed including a guard column having an inlet and an outlet. The guard column is disposed in a coil having a column coil aspect ratio of less than 15. A gas chromatography system is disclosed including an oven cavity, a heater assembly, an inlet, a guard column, an analytical column, and a detector. The guard column is in fluid communication with the inlet and is disposed in a guard column coil. The analytical column is in fluid communication with the guard column and is disposed in an analytical column coil. The detector is in fluid communication with the analytical column. The analytical column coil has an analytical column coil central axis aligned with a central axis of the heater assembly, and the guard column coil has a guard column coil central axis remote from the central axis of the heater assembly.

A chromatography column for the use of separation of acidic sugar chains, wherein the column comprises a first column and a second column, the second column connected by a flow path downstream of an outlet of the first column, and selected from the following (1) or (2): (1) the carrier of the first column is hydrophobically modified silica having a group containing a primary amine, a secondary amine or/and a tertiary amine, and the carrier of the second column is a resin having a group containing a primary amine, a secondary amine or/and a tertiary amine; (2) the carrier of the first column is a resin having a group containing a primary amine, a secondary amine or/and a tertiary amine, and the carrier of the second column is hydrophobically modified silica having a group containing a primary amine, a secondary amine, or/and a tertiary amine.

A parallel assembly (2; 11; 51) of chromatography column modules (3a,b,c; 13a,b,c; 53a,b,c, 90a, b) connected in a rigid housing (21; 61), the assembly having one common assembly inlet (15; 55) and one common assembly outlet (17; 57), each column module comprising a bed space (29) filled with chromatography medium and each column module comprises integrated fluid conduits which when the column module is connected with other column modules in the rigid housing are adapted to connect the bed space (29) of the column module with the assembly inlet (15; 55) and the assembly outlet (17; 57), wherein the total length and/or volume of the fluid conduit from the assembly inlet to one bed space together with the length and/or volume of the fluid conduit from the same bed space to the assembly outlet is substantially the same for all bed spaces and modules installed in the parallel assembly.

A method and an apparatus suitable for a continuous chromatography process which only needs three separation columns, and a two-step process containing two chromatographic steps, in which the first chromatographic step (capture) is performed alternating and sequentially on two separation columns, the second chromatographic step (polishing) is performed, also sequentially, on the third column.

A parallel assembly of chromatography column modules connected in a rigid housing the assembly having one common assembly inlet and one common assembly outlet each column module comprising a bed space filled with chromatography medium and each column module comprises integrated fluid conduits which when the column module is connected with other column modules in the rigid housing are adapted to connect the bed space of the column module with the assembly inlet and the assembly outlet wherein the total length and/or volume of the fluid conduit from the assembly inlet to one bed space together with the length and/or volume of the fluid conduit from the same bed space to the assembly outlet is substantially the same for all bed spaces and modules installed in the parallel assembly.

A method for collecting a sample for sample analysis includes drawing a first portion of the sample into a sample storage portion of a chromatography system while the chromatography system is in a first configuration. The method further comprising switching the chromatography system to a second configuration; sealing an end of a sample pick-up needle and draining a portion of a liquid from the second tubing; switching the chromatography system to a third configuration; drawing a second portion of the sample into the sample storage portion of the chromatography system; switching the chromatography system to an injection configuration; and fluidly connecting the sample storage portion to the chromatography column and supplying the first portion of the sample and the second portion of the sample from the sample storage portion to the chromatography column.

Methods and systems are provided to improve consistency and robustness in chromatography, for example, in operations of multi-column chromatography systems.

A process for purifying a composition comprising water, a target substance, impurities and optionally cells, the process comprising the steps (A) and (B): (A) preparing a liquid feedstock by performing step (Ai) and/or (Aii) on the composition: (Ai) removing at least some of the cells from the composition; (Aii) concentrating the composition by removing water therefrom; and (B) passing the liquid feedstock through an apparatus comprising at least two processing units, each such unit producing a product stream containing purified target substance and optionally a waste stream comprising at least some of the impurities, wherein each unit comprises specified components (i) to (v). The units may be essentially the same except for a device they contain, leading to advantages in terms of simplicity, cost and ease of operation, lower risk of operator error, easier maintenance and lower inventory of spare parts.

The present disclosure provides a process for assaying stability of monovalent and/or multivalent, liquid and lyophilized polysaccharide protein conjugate vaccine compositions using HPLC-SEC method. The method provides stability analysis (lot to lot) of polysaccharide protein conjugate vaccine with respect to aggregation profile, molar mass distribution and/or molecular size distribution, and data can be utilized for quality control during storage and batch release. The method is performed in the presence of multiple carrier proteins, free polysaccharides and excipient, without any interference of said components.

An on-line system that performs concentration and solvent exchange in order to improve a detection level of analytes by a liquid chromatograph (LC) is provided. The on-line system comprises: a first pump and a second pump for supplying a solvent; a liquid chromatograph (LC) including a separation column (SC) connected to the first pump; a trapping column (TC) for collecting the analytes separated from the separation column; a concentration column (CC) for concentrating the analytes collected in the trapping column (TC); a detector; and first to third switching valves that communicate fluid with at least one of the first or second pumps. An analysis method using the same is also provided.