Description

This fellowship opportunity under the NRC Research Associateship Programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focuses on advancing separation science techniques for trace level analysis of organic and organometallic compounds. The research involves developing and applying methods such as gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), capillary electrochromatography (CEC), and capillary electrophoresis (CE).

Key research areas include:

• Developing selective extraction systems (e.g., pressurized fluid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, solid phase microextraction) for isolating analytes from complex natural matrices.
• Innovating chromatographic and electrophoretic sample preparation and cleanup methods to preconcentrate analytes before analysis.
• Creating off-line and on-line multidimensional separation techniques (e.g., LC-GC, LC-LC, LC-CE) to resolve individual species in complex mixtures.
• Utilizing simultaneous multiple or selective detection systems (mass spectrometry, electron capture, flame photometric, UV-visible diode array, fluorescence, electrochemical, chemical reaction detectors) to improve selectivity and sensitivity.

Applications of these techniques have been emphasized in environmental, clinical, and forensic contexts, including:

• Detection of environmental contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, dioxins, toxaphene, flame retardants, and organometallic species in matrices like sediment, tissue, human serum and milk, and air particulates.
• Measurement of nutrients such as vitamins and carotenoids in food and serum.
• Analysis of drugs of abuse in urine and hair.
• Study of biomolecules including proteins, peptides, and DNA fragments.

There are also opportunities to apply these separation techniques to trace inorganic analysis problems.