LC/GC Bootcamp

Five-Day Hands-On HPLC & GC Training Course
Over 13,000 Trained Professionals

Gain advanced HPLC and GC skills

After taking the LC/GC Bootcamp you will be an advanced practicioner of both HPLC and GC.

Why learn both techniques at the same time?

The fundamental concept to understand GC and HPLC is separation.  So when you learn HPLC and GC you learn two applications of separation science.  This reinforces and deepens your understanding.

So in our opinion – based on training over 13,000 professionals – learning HPLC helps you understand GC better and vice versa.

As a bonus, having advanced skills in both techniques will differentiate you and make you more valuable to your employer and in the broader market.

See what our students say.

What You Can Expect To Learn
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A Complete Roadmap to Method Development
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HPLC & GC Theory & Fundamentals
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Operation of Modern HPLC's and GC's
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HPLC & GC Maintenance
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HPLC & GC Troubleshooting
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HPLC & GC Method Development & Optimization
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Mass Spectrometry Fundamentals
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Quantitative Analysis

Course Curriculum

Day 1

9:00 Introduction to GC

How does GC, the world’s most popular analytical tool, fit into the analytical chemistry toolbox? What is the difference between gas chromatography and liquid chromatography? How GC proves that kale is bad for you. When to choose GC over HPLC. Learn the main advantages of GC over HPLC.

10:00 GC Inlets

Understanding GC inlets is crucial for troubleshooting. Learn how to choose the right inlet for your application. Learn about Split/splitless, multi-mode inlets, cool on-column, etc. Learn how to maintain your inlet

11:00 Lab 1: Introduction to GC + Temperature

You will operate one of our 15 GCs, make real injections and test how varying temperature changes the resolution. Understanding fully how oven temperature impacts the separation is a fundamental tool to developing and optimizing GC methods.

12:00 Lunch provided by Axion

We can accommodate your dietary needs.

1:00 Resolution

A deep dive into the master resolution equation. You will learn how to control the three factors that are necessary for a good separation – capacity, selectivity and efficiency.

2:00 Lab 2: Split Ratio

You will run a series of experiments with varying split ratios.

4:00 Lab 3: Split/Splitless

Explore the utility of split and splitless techniques.

Day 2

9:00 GC Theory

Understand the VanDeemter and Golay equations to minimize band broadening aka maximize efficiency. This will keep your peaks as tall and skinny as needed. Eddy diffusion, longitudinal diffusion and mass transfer are explained. You will understand how different carrier gasses and column diameter, column film thickness and carrier gas linear velocity interplay to determine efficiency. 

9:45 Capillary Columns

“In the olden days I used to make capillary columns by hand.” – Lee Polite

How to choose a column that will work for your application? You need to pick the right column diameter, length, film thickness and stationary phase. Learn how in this module. What is the best way to store your GC columns? How to condition your column.

10:45 Lab 4: GC Parameters

In this lab you will put your new-found GC theory understanding to work and play with all the most important parameters in GC.

11:45 Lunch provided by Axion

We can accommodate your dietary needs.

12:45 Lab 5: GC Quant

2:30 Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

How can you confirm that a peak is what you think it is? What methods exist to measure (quantify)? You will learn a variety of quantitation procedures and calibration methods

3:30 Lab 6: Column Installation and Maintenance

You will remove and then install a GC column and then test for performance.

7:00 Dinner provided by Axion

We often get tapas at one of our favorite restaurants.

Day 3

9:00 GC Detectors

What detectors do you use? Thermal conductivity (TCD), Flame ionization detector (FID) discussed with emphasis on FID. Other detectors can be discussed as requested.

10:00 GC/MS Talk and Demo

Learn how a modern mass spec works to “weigh a molecule”. How do molecules get ionized and then how are their masses measured?

11:00 Introduction to HPLC

Learn how HPLC fits into the broader picture of chromatography. When to choose HPLC over GC? Learn  how 5 different modes of HPLC compliment each other: reversed phase, ion pair, normal phase, ion exchange, and size exclusion.

11:45 Lunch provided by Axion

We can accommodate your dietary needs

1:45 Lab 7: LC Parameters

3:30 HPLC Instrumentation

You’ll get a thorough overview of modern HPLC instrumentation including pumps, injector, column and detectors.Learn how to install a column and how to solve and avoid the most common problems.

4:30 Resolution and Theory Review

The beautiful thing is that you already know the fundamentals of chromatographic separation. You know that controlling capacity, selectivity and efficiency is the key. In this module you will learn what parameters to adjust on the HPLC to control these factors. We also introduce the concept of particle diameter as a key factor for good separations.

Day 4

9:00 HPLC Detectors

Gain a conceptual understanding of how UV-Vis detectors give both qualitative and quantitative measurements in HPLC. Refractive index (RI) detectors are also discussed.

10:00 HPLC Columns

We survey a range of column packing materials focusing on popular bonded phases. You will learn the mechanism of reversed-phase separation, and when to choose reversed phase.

How do common functional groups interact with packing material? How can you predict the elution order? How to reduce the time for each analysis while maintaining resolution? When do you need to use a long or a short column? What about guard columns? You will learn all the answers to these questions.

11:00 Reversed Phase of Acids and Bases

Don’t you love acid/base chemistry! Learn how acidic, neutral and basic compounds interact with the column and how to prevent peak broadening using buffers. Why use a base deactivated column?

12:00 Lunch provided by Axion

We can accommodate your dietary needs.

1:00 Lab 8: Determination of Caffeine in Soft Drinks

Or bring your own caffeinated beverage and analyze it!

2:00 HPLC Troubleshooting

What problems do you encounter when using HPLC? High pressure, low pressure, pressure fluctuations? Baseline fluctuations, ghost peaks? Tailing peaks, fronting peaks, doubled peaks?

All of these are common problems with simple solutions that you will understand now because you understand how a HPLC works. We also show you how to test if your HPLC is working correctly before you start a project.

3:00 LC Method Development

Need to develop a brand new method or want to optimize an existing method? You will learn those skills in this module. You’ll learn how to employ a variety of gradients and method building techniques to deliver a fast and robust HPLC method that delivers the resolution that you need.

4:00 Lab 9: LC Method Development

We will give you a complete unknown and you will develop a method using everything that you have learned. You will have to deliver a method with adequate separation and then optimize that method.

Day 5

9:00 GC Method Development

Learn a systematic approach to developing and optimizing GC methods. Learn how to analyze solubility, concentration and matrix and the goals of the analysis to select the proper inlet, detector, column, and oven temperature. Then learn what parameters to adjust to increase cycle time, improve resolution or increase sensitivity.

10:30 Lab 10: GC Method Development 

Similar to the HPLC method development lab, we will give you an unknown sample and you will have to develop a method completely from scratch. Then you will optimize that method using all that you have learned in the course

12:30 Lunch provided by Axion

We can accommodate your dietary needs.

1:30 GC Troubleshooting

You will learn a 9-step funnel that will enable you to troubleshoot your GC. You will evaluate a variety of real world problems and diagnose using your understanding of modern GC systems. There is a focus on the inlet and detector problems as they are a common source of problems. 

3:00 End of Course

This course is fast paced and fun!  Yes, hard to believe but not only do we learn chromatography we also have fun while doing it.  Axion takes students out to lunch daily and also plans evening activities around Chicago.

Axion has been providing  chromatography training to every major pharmaceutical, chemical, and petroleum company in the US for more than 30 years.

This course is designed for users of ANY familiarity level who want practical laboratory experience and thorough understanding of the technique fundamentals.

By the end of this course, students will feel comfortable operating any modern GC or HPLC.  All of the classroom instruction is reinforced with plenty of hands-on time with HPLCs and GCs.

See what our students say.

This course is ideal for:
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Aspiring professionals in analytical chemistry.
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Rising managers or mid-level analysts who want to add depth and breadth to their technical mastery.
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Medicinal chemists
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Your employees who use HPLC and GC
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BS/MS level chemists who have little hands-on experience
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Anyone who has a desire to learn about HPLC and GC

Who qualifies to take this course?

No prior experience in advanced mathematics, theoretical chemistry, or physics is required for this course.

All students should start with the bootcamp regardless of education or work experience.

I’m a trained chromatographer with a focus in mass spectrometry.  Despite having a PhD in the field with years of study behind me, I was able to garner new information to expand my knowledge base.

Tiffany Liden, Ph.D.

Postdoc Researcher, Adjunct Professor , Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington

Lee’s teaching style enables less experienced chromatographers to easily grasp the complexities of HPLC and GC and the more experienced to deepen their understanding so they can tackle any challenge.

Registration

After completion of course you will recieve a certification of completion

5-Day LC/GC Bootcamp Course

Learn HPLC and GC at the same time.
Where: Axion Labs and Training Institute, Chicago Illinois
Instuctor: Dr. Lee N. Polite

Have Questions? Book a call here.

Choose Your Date
$4,495.00

Mar 25-29, 2024

Apr 29-May 03, 2024

Jun 10-14, 2024

Jul 29-Aug 02, 2024

Sep 16-20, 2024

Oct 14-18, 2024

Dec 09-13, 2024

After registration you will recieve an email containing our recommended lodging list with discount codes.

*If you are a legal professional reach out to us here.

Meet The Instructor

Expert Chromatographer  |  Expert Instuctor

Lee Polite is the president and founder of Axion Analytical Labs, Inc. Lee has been teaching chromatography to professionals for more than 30 years. Since Axions inception in 1995, Lee has provided in-depth chromatography training to every major pharmaceutical, chemical, and petroleum company in the US. He has been invited to lecture on the topic in 17 countries and has trained more than 13000 professionals. 

What Our Students Say

{This course was extremely helpful in teaching the fundamentals of GC. The instructor presented the material in a fashion that was easily understandable.
Monika Kothari
Lab Technician Nalco Water
{Great Instructor and staff! I enjoyed the "hands-on" part of this course. This course really broke down GC and the fundamentals.
Carla Reguen
Forensic Chemist Wilmington Police Dept. Crime Lab
{Clearly explained topic with excellent detail, gave examples of applications relevant to my job application.
Cathleen Roush
Air Pollution Specialist Air Resource Board, California
{...was a game changer for my career. It single handedly helped me get every job I have ever had.  I was in metrology at APP pharmaceuticals. It helped me move to AD at a startup and later a third party field service tech and now owning my own service business. I am very thankful for my experience.
Michele McClain
Owner LakeShore Scientific
{The team at Axion Labs offers a level of personalized and high-quality instruction that is nearly impossible to find anywhere else. Given how challenging of a technique chromatography is, I was blown away by the ability of every instructor to break it down into lessons that were easy to understand and retain. I came into an Axion class knowing the bare minimum about chromatography and left with the tools/confidence needed to solve various chromatography problems in the lab.  
Stephen Braunewell
Associate Scientist II bluebird bio
{I'm glad I had the opportunity to attend two of the courses Axion offers. Dr. Lee Polite is one of the best teachers I ever met and his knowledge over the LC subject is amazing. I definitely recommend anyone that wants to learn about chromatography to attend the courses offered by this institute.
Klleber Oliveira
Senior Scientist, Quality Control USANA Health Sciences Inc.
{Over the course of my career, I have attended several GC and HPLC trainings. This was the first training in which I left the course with a level of understanding that I could maximize the equipment. Rather than leaving with a tip or a trick for method development, Dr. Polite provided a complete roadmap to method development from theory to application in the training. It was enjoyable to go from the art of method development to the science of method development. For anyone looking to learn GC/HPLC, increase their lab skill sets, or make the transition from experienced user to expert; I would highly recommend this course.
Joe Block
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Hi I just wanted to take a minute to tell you what an amazing course Axion’s LC/GC Bootcamp is. I was fortunate enough to attend Lee’s course in the summer of 2021.  I’m a trained chromatographer with a focus in mass spectrometry.  Despite having a PhD in the field with years of study behind me, I was able to garner new information to expand my knowledge base. I highly encourage anyone to attend his course if you are afforded the opportunity.

Tiffany Liden, Ph.D.
Postdoc Researcher, Adjunct Professor  Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington

Chromatography Learning Paths

Take the drivers seat of your HPLC/GC and of your career.