Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the Agilent HPLC Testing for Potency Competition winners. The contest was established to promote awareness of Agilent solutions and its commitment to support cannabis processors, cultivators, and commercial testing labs in the testing of cannabis and hemp.
The three grand prize winners each receive one-year free use of an Agilent 1260 Infinity II LC System for potency testing, as well as an Agilent potency kit and standards. Six runners-up will receive a 50% discount on the future purchase of an Agilent HPLC for Potency system. The grand prize winners are:
- Category: Cultivator. Kersten Beyer Gaba from Verda Bio Research in Seattle, WA.
- Category: Processor. Eric Rosa from Jushi Holdings Inc. in Scranton, PA.
- Category: Testing Lab. Nick Williams from Origo Labs in Chicago, IL.
“As more and more states legalize cannabis and hemp, there is an increasing need for high-quality, reliable instrumentation that ensures the quality and safety of cannabis products,” said Cameron George, sales director of Laboratory Solutions Sales at Agilent. “Through this competition, Agilent reaffirms its commitment to the cannabis and hemp testing community.”
“We will partner with the winning labs to ensure that they are extracting the best value and performance from their HPLC instrument,” George added.
HPLC systems with ultraviolet (UV) detectors are the most commonly used equipment for potency testing in commercial cannabis and hemp laboratories. The chromatography separates the mixture of cannabinoids in a sample, and then the amount of each cannabinoid is determined by shining UV light on the separated compounds. Each cannabinoid absorbs UV light differently depending on its concentration. Measuring how much UV light is absorbed determines the quantity of each cannabinoid within the sample.
Using an HPLC system, labs can achieve high throughput potency analysis of cannabis, hemp, or cannabinoids derived from oils and concentrates. With a bench footprint as small as 2 square feet, an HPLC is a compact piece of laboratory equipment. This technique produces replicable results and can identify cannabinoids in less than 10 minutes.
Agilent products and solutions are intended to be used for cannabis quality control and safety testing in laboratories where such use is permitted under state/country law.