The Waters ACQUITY UPLC M-Class System is a nano- to microscale UltraPerformance LC (UPLC) system rated for 15,000 psi operation. Coupled to Waters mass spectrometers, the system delivers the sensitivity to quantify and to identify vanishingly small concentrations of key molecules. The ACQUITY UPLC M-Class System is suited for a broad range of applications including proteomics, metabolic profiling, metabolite identification, and pharmacokinetic studies. Its new 15k psi-capable ACQUITY UPLC M-Class Columns tap the potential of sub-2-micron particle technology, yielding faster separations, greater peak capacities and increased levels of sensitivity.

Nano- to microscale LC is defined by flow rates of 200 nL/min. to 100 microliter/min. with columns having an internal diameter of up to 1.0 mm. The advantages include the conservation of sample and solvent, increased sensitivity and a flow rate compatible with high sensitivity electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS).

The new features incorporated into the ACQUITY UPLC M-Class System are led by its internal low-volume design and newly redesigned fluidics that minimize dispersive and adsorptive losses during a chromatographic separation. The non-reactive materials for its internal fluid pathways ensure the integrity of samples and maximize the recovery of biologically important molecules. In order to preserve peak capacity, the ACQUITY UPLC M-Class System has a new micro ESI probe specifically optimized for microscale separations, along with low-dispersion flow cells that retain chromatographic resolution into the detector.  The increased pressure envelope enables the ACQUITY UPLC M-Class System to exploit fully sub-2-micron particles in longer columns—up to 25 cm in length—resulting in faster separations and better resolution of individual chromatographic peaks.

With the introduction of the ACQUITY UPLC M-Class System, Waters is introducing five new chromatographic columns with internal diameters ranging from 75 micron to 1.0 mm. They are: HSS T3 (1.8 micron, 100 angstrom pore size); BEH C18 (1.7 micron, 130 angstrom and 300 angstrom); BEH C4 (1.7 micron, 300 angstrom); and CSH C18 (1.7 micron, 130 angstrom); and Symmetry C18 (5 micron, 100 angstrom). Waters is complementing these new columns with a new line of 300 micron internal diameter steel columns packed with sub-2-micron particles.

Waters Corp., 800-252-4752, www.waters.com