Which UPLC system for metabolomics on Q-Exactive?

[plusik]

Hello,

We are planning to purchase the Thermo Q-Exactive Plus system. The usage will be metabolomics - mainly for polar metabolites, but in the future possibly also lipids etc. Probably, several different chromatography methods will be developed and used on this system in long term.

My question is: can somebody with more experience recommend (or "unrecommend") a particular UPLC system that works well in combination with the Q-Exactive, and provides versatility and long-term stability for metabolomics?
We are looking for the kind of advice that you cannot find in the brochures, because all vendors claim their system is the best one.

Thanks!

Tomas

[leadazide]

The Thermo Ultimate3000 RSLC system works well.. It is also very vesitile for both RP and NP.

[trozen]

Ultimate 3000 may work well, but not necessarily so
we have 6 UHPLC systems, and half of them has various issues e.g. degasser malfunction, misalignment of the injection needle or failure to inject for unknown reason (i.e. system behaves normal only if the vials are open; once you cap a vial with septa the autosampler injects but the sample does not reach the mass spec)
this is maybe not really critical (except for degasser malfunction) but annoying

due to the injection principle (weak wash solvent is coinjected with the sample) the early eluters may look ugly, the pressure profile during the run does not look as smooth as it should

so I personally would prefer waters acquity system (I have no experience with agilent 1290, but I am sure that this would also be a valuable option)

the only point is that I have not yet seen waters LC controlled from the same PC as exactive, so the users have to have 2 PCs (though I do not understand why.. in theory the thermo LC devices fully support waters)

[AniaP]

Hi,
i'm new user in chromatography forum. We already connect Q-Exactive to Waters UPLC on one PC. We tried to controlled the UPLC from X-Calibur. Teoretically it is possible but in practise it doesnt't work properly. UPLC can be controlled from X-calubur in terms of changing any parameters but permamently stay in status " initializing" so the sample can not be run. If anybody have the same set of intruments and is able to help me with my problem?
Waters service as well as Thermo service is helpless...
thanks
Ania

[leadazide]

Hi,
i'm new user in chromatography forum. We already connect Q-Exactive to Waters UPLC on one PC. We tried to controlled the UPLC from X-Calibur. Teoretically it is possible but in practise it doesnt't work properly. UPLC can be controlled from X-calubur in terms of changing any parameters but permamently stay in status " initializing" so the sample can not be run. If anybody have the same set of intruments and is able to help me with my problem?
Waters service as well as Thermo service is helpless...
thanks
Ania

I have run into the issue with the Acquity system not going further than the Initializing.. The first time it got solved by exchanging the PC with a new PC that had Windows installed in a controlled enviroment (by my self:) )

The second time I got it solved by playing with the user account settings on the system..

If you are still having issues I don't mind trying to remote support you if you would like.. It would require you having Team Viewer 8 installed and not minding me having access to your PC..

[trozen]

Leadazide,

thanks for letting us know that Acquity plus Exactive can work from the same PC

I hope in my system I will be able to hook this up as well

[tony_cupcakes]

Hi,
i'm new user in chromatography forum. We already connect Q-Exactive to Waters UPLC on one PC. We tried to controlled the UPLC from X-Calibur. Teoretically it is possible but in practise it doesnt't work properly. UPLC can be controlled from X-calubur in terms of changing any parameters but permamently stay in status " initializing" so the sample can not be run. If anybody have the same set of intruments and is able to help me with my problem?
Waters service as well as Thermo service is helpless...
thanks
Ania

I have run into the issue with the Acquity system not going further than the Initializing.. The first time it got solved by exchanging the PC with a new PC that had Windows installed in a controlled enviroment (by my self:) )

The second time I got it solved by playing with the user account settings on the system..

If you are still having issues I don't mind trying to remote support you if you would like.. It would require you having Team Viewer 8 installed and not minding me having access to your PC..

Hi leadazide
Could you provide some information on how you got past initialization when you played with the 'user account settings'? We are having the same problem with Windows 7 and an acquity on our Orbitrap and can't figure out what to do. Thanks!

[leadazide]

Hi leadazide
Could you provide some information on how you got past initialization when you played with the 'user account settings'? We are having the same problem with Windows 7 and an acquity on our Orbitrap and can't figure out what to do. Thanks!

Hi, tony_cupcakes

I must admit that I cannot fully remember what I changed to make it work.. As far as I recall it was something to do with the administrator rights.. The IT department at the site are borderline nazis and give users "administator" accounts with "full" access but there are several things still not available (like Firewall settings and managing different users) showing that the account does not have FULL administrator rights.. I believe it was in this direction I found the solution.. It is alpha - omega to have the right user rights for the software to work correctly as it is basically running on a hidden user and if communication between users are restricted.. trouble!

You can also try putting your Xcalibur CD/DVD in the drive and running the setup.. Choose Foundation. You will then the option to repair. Run this.. The repair feature has saved me several times fixing stupid this IT people have done (like deleting the hidden user needed to run the Thermo based equipment )

I hope some of this helps.. Otherwise my offer to do a remote session via Team Viewer still stands..