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Analytical Chemist's Dilemmas: From Swine Flu Vaccines to Art Authentication

Navigate through various scenarios as an analytical chemist facing challenges such as swine flu vaccine discrepancies, industrial espionage, patent infringement, product tampering, and art authentication. Utilize advanced instrumentation and critical thinking to resolve each complex situation.

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Analytical Chemist's Dilemmas: From Swine Flu Vaccines to Art Authentication

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  1. Scenario #1

  2. Swine Flu Manufacturer • You are an analytical chemist working in R&D for a large pharmaceutical company which is manufacturing a swine flu vaccine. The pressure to bring this product to market is intense. • The first production batches have been made. • But first you have to meet the product specifications.

  3. Swine Flu Specifications • Color Colorless • Appearance Free of visible particulate • Assay 5 mg/mL (HPLC) • pH 7.4 • Heavy metals Less than 10 ppm The product passes, except for color – the product has a slight yellow tinge

  4. Disaster! • QC sends it to you to figure it out • They require an answer within 24 hours

  5. What would you do? Instrumentation available to you • Infrared spectrometer with ATR • Mass spectrometer • NMR, 400 MHz • XRF • ICP-OES • Fluorimeter

  6. Considerations • What might be causing the color? • What concentrations should you look for? • Sample prep?

  7. Scenario #2

  8. Industrial Espionage! • You have been hired to perform some clandestine analytical work. • Your task: to determine the components of fireworks made in China so the product can be copied. • You have several products to analyze; you need to determine the explosives, colorants and oxidizers.

  9. What would you do? Instrumentation available to you • UV-visible spectrometer • Infrared spectrometer • Raman spectrometer • GC/MS • Atomic absorption

  10. Considerations • What types of materials do you need to identify? • Do you need quantitation? • Safety

  11. Scenario #3

  12. Patent Infringement • Your patent for a new drug to treat psittacosis has been challenged for infringement. • The challenger believes the actual structure of your drug (an antibiotic) is not what the patent claims it is. • You need to respond within 30 days.

  13. What would you do? Instrumentation available to you • Fluorescence • Mass spec • NMR • Infrared • ICP-MS • X-ray fluorescence • X-ray diffraction

  14. Considerations • What aspects of the structure need to be proved? • How close is close? • Could sample prep affect structure?

  15. Scenario #4

  16. Product Tampering • A consumer has returned a bottle of tablets that were purchased recently that are suspected of having been tampered with. • Your job is to determine whether product tampering is likely.

  17. Product Tampering • The product container • Outer box • Lot number, expiration date? • Any tears, signs of re-glue? • Bottle holding tablets • Has it been opened previously? • Number of tablets present? • The tablets • Size / shape / color? • Markings? • Composition?

  18. What would you do? Instrumentation available to you • Infrared • Raman • ICP-OES • GC/MS • NMR (60 MHz) • X-ray diffraction

  19. Considerations • Sensitivity: How sensitive do you need to be to ensure that no adulteration has occurred? • Quantitation • Comparison to a retain of good product

  20. Scenario #5

  21. Art Authentication • It was only a small garage sale, but you found a heavily damaged painting in a handsome frame. You buy it for the frame. • Once you get it home and inspect it, the painting reminds you of a Van Gogh. • Is it possible????

  22. What Would You Do? • Instrumentation available to you • Infrared • Raman • ICP-OES • GC/MS • XRF

  23. Art Authentication • What can a chemist do to “authenticate” artwork? • What components could you analyze? • How do you get samples for analysis? • Can you perform in situ analysis? Non-destructive analysis? • How deeply into the painting should you go? • Once you get the analysis, what do you do with it?

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