GEN-MKT-18-7897-A
Apr 13, 2021 | Blogs, Environmental / Industrial | 0 comments
Read time: 4 minutes
Introduction to cannabis: analysis
Cannabis is a broad umbrella of classification that includes both hemp and marijuana. Check out a recent blog that lays out the definitions. This blog will focus on the common criteria we look at when conducting cannabis testing, including potency, pesticides and mycotoxins.
Potency: how do you test for it?
Based on individual state regulatory requirements in the US, the potency of commercial cannabis products must be reported. The percentage of THC is printed on cannabis product labels after being certified by a licensed cannabis testing facility. The methodology for obtaining cannabis potency values can vary based on the analytical technique and instrumentation used, which gives testing facilities options for customizing or streamlining their workflows. While marijuana potency testing can vary, hemp analysis has to be accurate, or the crop is considered cannabis and subject to federal confiscation and fines. The US, however, lacks standardized methods to assess products for potency and safety. That’s a big problem for the labs that are tasked with doing the testing. There have been many challenges in the uniformity of potency results across testing sites. Some manufacturers will go to the lab that gives them the highest potency results. Pesticides, mycotoxins and terpenes, oh my!
As states in the US struggle to set standards for testing, both consumers and retailers are becoming increasingly discerning. Because of the variability and diversity of the matrix composition of samples—which can include cannabinoids, terpenes, sugars, fatty acids and more—analyzing cannabis and hemp for pesticides can be daunting. This is especially true for high-throughput cannabis and hemp residue testing. If you want to learn more about this topic, check out our tips and tricks for pesticide residue analysis in cannabis. Stay tuned for more blogs and information on the analysis of cannabis and hemp.
RUO-MKT-18-13032-A
As an analytical strategy, middle-down mass spectrometry (MS) workflows characterize biotherapeutic proteins by analyzing large, digested protein fragments or defined subunits, rather than fully intact proteins (top-down) or digested peptides (bottom-up). A middle-down strategy combines the strengths of top-down and bottom-up approaches by delivering high sequence coverage and structural specificity while maintaining relatively simple sample preparation. In practice, middle-down analysis enables accurate mass measurement, rapid sequence confirmation, and localization of key post-translational modifications (PTMs) on protein subunits that are directly relevant to product quality.
In biopharmaceutical development, sequence variants (SV) are considered an inherent risk of producing complex proteins in living systems. Sequence variants are unintended changes to the amino acid sequence of a biotherapeutic and can be caused by errors in transcription or translation in the host cell, or cell culture and process conditions. Detailed analysis of SVs is important in process and product development to ensure the drug’s safety and efficacy. Even low‑level sequence variants can have significant implications for product quality, safety, and efficacy, making their accurate detection and characterization a critical requirement across development, process optimization, and regulatory submission.
CE‑SDS remains a cornerstone assay for characterizing fragmentation, aggregation, and product‑related impurities in therapeutic proteins. UV detection has been the long‑standing standard. However, it frequently struggles with baseline noise, limited sensitivity for minor fragments, and subjective integration.
Posted by
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Share this post with your network