Dr. Brian Fitz

20130819_115746

Contact Information

E-mail: brian.d.fitz01@gmail.com
Office: Chemistry Library Building (CHL) 109

Bio

Dr. Fitz obtained his Ph.D in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Washington in 2015 after graduating from the University of Washington in 2010 with a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry (ACS Certified). His research is currently focused developing instrumentation and data analysis methods to enable fast, high peak capacity separations in one and two-dimensional gas chromatography.

Research Interests

  • Novel Injection Techniques for Gas Chromatography (GC) — In order to increase the peak capacity production of GC separations (number of peaks produced per unit time) the width of the injection pulse delivered to the chromatographic system must be reduced. A significant portion of his work has been devoted to developing new injection technologies to produce high peak capacity separations. Both valve and thermal based systems have been investigated.
  • Fast, High Peak Capacity GC Separations — Another active area of study is to increase peak capacity and peak capacity production of 1D and 2D-GC systems. By using a novel thermal injection system coupled to a two-dimensional GC x GC – TOFMS peak capacity production values can be increased by an order of magnitude compared to standard GCxGC instrumentation. He is also focused on developing methods and instrumentation for ultra-fast GC analyses.
  • Chemometric Data Analysis — By coupling new data analysis methods to fast, high peak capacity separations, more useful chemical information can be obtained from GC separations compared to conventional methodologies.

Publications

  1. Non-targeted 13C-metabolic flux analysis of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 using the two-dimensional mass cluster method and principal component analysis. Brooke C Reaser, Song Yang, Brian D. Fitz , Brendon A. Parsons, Mary E. Lidstrom, Robert E. Synovec. Manuscript submitted to Journal of Chromatography A for review (2015).
  2. Extension of the two-dimensional mass cluster plot method to fast, high peak capacity separations with low thermal mass gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Brian D. Fitz, Robert E. Synovec, Manuscript submitted to Analytica Chimica Acta for review (2015).
  3. Evaluation of injection methods for fast, high peak capacity separations with low thermal mass gas chromatography. Brian D. Fitz, Brandyn C. Mannion, Khang To, Trinh Hoac, Robert E. Synovec. J. Chromatogr. A. 2015, 1392, 82-90.
  4. Enhancing Gas Chromatography–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry Data Analysis Using Two-Dimensional Mass Channel Cluster Plots. Brian D. Fitz, Brooke C. Reaser, David K. Pinkerton, Jamin C. Hoggard, Kristen J. Skogerboe, Robert E. Synovec. Anal. Chem., 2014, 86 (8), 3973–3979
  5. Fast, high peak capacity separations in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Brian D. Fitz, Ryan B. Wilson, Brendon A. Parsons, Jamin C. Hoggard, Robert E. Synovec. J. Chromatogr. A, 2012, 1266, 116-123.
  6. High-speed cryo-focusing injection for gas chromatography: Reduction of injection band broadening with concentration enrichment. Ryan B. Wilson, Brian D. Fitz, Brandyn C. Mannion, Tina Lai, Roy K. Olund, Jamin C. Hoggard, Robert E. Synovec. Talanta, 2012, 97, 9-15.
  7. Achieving high peak capacity production for gas chromatography and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography by minimizing off-column peak broadening. Ryan B. Wilson, W. Christopher Siegler, Jamin C. Hoggard, Brian D. Fitz, Jeremy S. Nadeau, Robert E. Synovec. J. Chromatogr. A, 2011, 1218, 3130–3139.
  8. Utilizing a constant peak width transform for isothermal gas chromatography. Jeremy S. Nadeau, Ryan B. Wilson, Brian D. Fitz, Jason T. Reed, Robert E. Synovec. J. Chromatogr. A, 2011, 1218, 3718-3724.
  9. Experimental study of the quantitative precision for valve-based comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography. W. Christopher Siegler, Brian D. Fitz, Jamin C. Hoggard, Robert E. Synovec. Anal. Chem., 2011, 83, 5190–5196.

Presentations

  • “Improving GC-TOFMS Data Interpretation Using Two-Dimensional Mass Cluster Plots B. Fitz, R. Synovec; CPAC Summer Institute, July 22, 2014, Seattle, WA.
  • “Advances in Instrumentation and Data Analysis Methods to Improve Peak Capacity in GC – TOFMS and GC x GC – TOFMS” B. Fitz, R. Wilson, J. Hoggard, R. Synovec; Canadian Research Conference (CSC) June 4, 2014, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • “Advances in Process Gas Chromatography and Chemometrics” B. Fitz, B. Parsons, R. Synovec; Center for Process Analysis and Control (CPAC) May 13, 2014, Seattle, WA.
  • “Increasing Peak Capacity Production in Fast One and Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography” B. Fitz, R. Synovec; Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL) August 14, 2013, Richland, WA.

Posters (as presenter)

  • “Novel Instrumentation in One and Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography” B. Fitz, B. Kehimkar, J. Hoggard, R. Wilson*, B. Mannion, R. Synovec; CPAC Summer Institute July 23, 2013, Seattle, WA.
  • “Novel Instrumentation in One and Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography” B. Fitz, B. Kehimkar, J. Hoggard, R. Wilson*, B. Mannion, R. Synovec; CPAC Spring Meeting May 6, 2013, Seattle, WA.
  • “High Temperature Comprehensive GCxGC Utilizing Unique Ionic Liquid Stationary Phases” B. Fitz, T. Carter, R. Synovec. National Undergraduate Research Competition, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL. Nov 13-15, 2009.
  • “High Temperature Comprehensive GCxGC Utilizing Unique Ionic Liquid Stationary Phases” B. Fitz, T. Carter, R. Synovec. Mary Gates Undergraduate Research Symposium, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. May 15, 2009.

Awards

  • Amy Scott and Stephen C. Alley Endowed Fellowship in Chemistry (2012)
  • Finalist, FSU National Undergraduate Research Competition (2009)
  • Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America (2005)