Multidimensional Gas Chromatography Methods for Bioanalytical Research

Abstract

Multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) methods are high-resolution volatile chemical separation techniques, and comprise classical heart-cutting MDGC and its more recent incarnation, comprehensive 2D GC. Although available for a long period, MDGC approaches are still not widely practiced in the field of bioanalysis, possibly reflecting the general preference for regular GC versus MDGC approaches. With the recent introduction of ‘-omic’ techniques that emphasize global nontargeted profiling of metabolites within living systems, it is evident that MDGC is gaining momentum as a separation tool, since it offers very high resolution. By untangling metabolites within highly complex biological matrices, and expanding the metabolic coverage, MDGC plays a frontline role in ‘-omics’ based studies. This review highlights state-of-the-art MDGC approaches, and summarizes the recent developments in bioanalytics.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

C Hartmann was supported by the Josef Schormueller Gedaechtnisstiftung. YF Wong gratefully acknowledges the provision of a Monash Graduate Scholarship and Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarship from Monash University. PJ Marriott acknowledges the Australian Research Council for a Discovery Outstanding Researcher Award. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

C Hartmann was supported by the Josef Schormueller Gedaechtnisstiftung. YF Wong gratefully acknowledges the provision of a Monash Graduate Scholarship and Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarship from Monash University. PJ Marriott acknowledges the Australian Research Council for a Discovery Outstanding Researcher Award. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.