Flow Injection Analysis: from Beakers to Microfluidics.

Jarda Ruzicka, PhD

Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii , Manoa, Honolulu

Integration of reagent based assays with analytical instruments is a central problem for both research and routine analytical work, in such diverse fields as biochemistry, environmental assays, agricultural assays, biotechnology, oceanography, clinical chemistry, and process control. Regardless whether the end measurement is carried out by a simple detector (such as spectrophotometer), or a sophisticated one ( e.g. MS,) the execution of the preceding “wet chemistry” steps, where reagent and sample solution are brought together to react under controlled conditions, is critical to success of any assay. Flow Injection Analysis,(FIA), fulfills this role, as documented by almost 20.000 papers and 20 monographs published on this topic.

This talk will briefly review solution handling concepts from traditional, manual approaches, to computer controlled, automated Flow Injection, and its sequels Sequential Injection and Bead Injection. Principles of Sequential Injection will be illustrated by examples of enzymatic assays. The participants will be given a DVD copy of the FIA Tutorial, which will be briefly reviewed during the talk.

Jaromir (Jarda) Ruzicka is Professor Emeritus (University of Washington Seattle,) and Affiliate Professor ( Oceanography University of Hawaii, Honolulu). He is a member of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences, and past president of the Danish Society for Analytical Chemistry. He was born in Prague in 1934, where he first graduated from Charles University, Department of Analytical Chemistry and later also from the Technical University, Department of Radiochemistry.

In 1968 he immigrated with his family to Denmark, where he obtained a position at the Technical University. There, he became, ten years later, a full professor. During his stay in Denmark, in 1974, he co-invented with his colleague E. H. Hansen, the flow injection method. During that time he also served as an expert for the International Atomic Energy Agency ( United Nations) in Brazil, where at the University of Sao Paulo in Piracicaba, flow injection method found, for the first time, its practical application.

In Seattle, at the Department of Chemistry and in the Center for Process Analytical Chemistry, his research has been, since 1987, aimed at further development of flow injection, leading to the concepts of sequential injection, bead injection and microfluidic-based automated assays. Applications areas in this work included drug discovery, immunoassays and bioassays. J.R. published two monographs and close to 300 papers. Amongst his scientific awards are Talanta Medal, the Torben Bergman Medal by the Swedish Chemical Society, the Gairn Medal by the Scientific Council of European Community, Water’s Award for Pioneers in Development of Analytical Instrumentation, the Memorial Medal by Charles University and The Silver Medal by the University of Warsaw. He is a honorary member of the Japanese Society for Analytical Chemistry .

He retired to Hawaii, where he lives with his family, and participates in research in chemical oceanography, since flow injection techniques are widely used in the laboratory and on board of research ships.