The University requires a liquid chromatography system to support research on the biology and biochemistry of lignin and plant cell walls. This modular system will contain a pump, an autosampler, a column compartment, two detectors, a fraction collector, a computer, software, and all the required valves, fittings, and flow path connections.
This liquid chromatography instrument will be used to analyse metabolites extracted from plant tissues. The metabolites will include phenolic compounds and non-UV-active compounds. The plants will be both transgenic and non-transgenic. Tissues will include leaves, stems, roots, seeds, etc. In many cases, the University will be quantifying the concentration of known components with commercially available standards. However, in other cases, the University will isolate fractions (likely pooled fractions from multiple sample runs) and send them for chemical identification using mass spectrometry elsewhere. This project needs to deliver a fully functional liquid chromatography system that is useful for the analysis of a variety of metabolites.
Mandatory Technical Requirements:
1. Liquid Chromatography System
1.1 The proposed system must be new; refurbished units will not be accepted.
1.2 The proposed system must have a built-in eluent degassing unit.
1.3 The proposed system must have a quaternary pump capable of providing at least 800 bar of pressure.
1.4 The proposed system must have a flow path made with chemically resistant materials that can withstand organic solvents commonly used as eluents (namely ethanol, methanol, 2-propanol, acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran).
1.5 The proposed system must have an autosampler capable of holding at least 100 samples in standard 12-mm-diameter high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) vials.
1.6 The autosampler must be able to maintain the sample vials between 4°C to 40°C, ± 1°C.
1.7 The autosampler must be capable of injecting as little as 0.1 mL and as much as 1 mL of sample. If necessary, two separate injection loops may be provided.
1.8 The autosampler must be equipped with a mechanism for automated needle washing and/or needle seat washing between sample injections.
1.9 The proposed system must have a column compartment capable of holding at least two pairs of analytical and guard columns at a time.
1.10 The column compartment must provide temperature control for the columns from 25°C to 80°C, ± 1°C.
1.11 The proposed system must have a valve (or valves) for automated column selection and detector selection.
1.12 The proposed system must have a diode-array detector (DAD) capable of detecting between 200–800 nm as both single-wavelength channels and full wavelength scans.
1.13 The proposed system must include a refractive index (RI) detector with temperature regulation for the optics. If required, a pressure suppressor device must also be included.
1.14 The proposed system must have a fraction collector with a valve (or valves) for activating and diverting the fraction collector.
2. Computer and Software
2.1 The proposed system must be equipped with a stand-alone desktop computer running a genuine version of Windows and all the required software. The system must also include all necessary peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc).
2.2 The proposed system must include software to i) control the instrument, including the pump, autosampler, column compartment temperature, column-selection and detector-selection valves, detector settings, and fraction collector settings; ii) collect signal data from the detectors; iii) analyse the resulting datasets, and iv) export the data.
2.3 All necessary software required to meet Mandatory Requirement 2.2 must be provided with a perpetual (i.e., non-expiring) licence.
2.4 Proposals must include unrestricted software updates for a minimum of 5 years.
2.5 Data must be available in exportable Excel or ASCII file formats.
3. Warranty, Installation, and Training
3.1 The proposal must include a minimum of 1 year of manufacturer warranty, including parts, maintenance, and service. The proponent must also be capable of providing up to a total of 4 years of extended warranty, including parts, maintenance, and service.
3.2 The proposal must include installation, performance validation, and on-site training for basic operation of the instrument, regular maintenance, troubleshooting, and routine data analysis.
4. Other Requirements
4.1 The proposal must include freight and delivery.
4.2 All electrical components must be CSA certified or equivalent; as per the Electrical Safety Authority Recognized Certification Mark: https://esasafe.com/electrical-products/recognized-certification-marks/ If any electrical components do not arrive with an acceptable certification marking, uOttawa must be allowed to open/modify the instrument as required in order to have it CSA Certified. Said inspection/modification, if required, must not void any warranty.
