chromnil
chromnil builds an all-in-one high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) system that combines sample separation, biological testing, and quantification in a single connected workflow on a 0.1 m² footprint. The chromnil one automates five HPTLC steps on a single 10 × 10 cm plate, enabling effect-directed screening that identifies which specific compound in a complex sample produces a biological effect. The system supports up to 9 samples per plate and includes integrated humidity and temperature control for reproducible separations.
- Chemical Technology
- Biotechnology
- Hardware
Funding
Founders
Founder details are not available yet.
Product
Problem
Traditional analytical workflows separate chemical analysis from biological testing, requiring laboratories to use multiple instruments and manually correlate results. This fragmented approach makes it difficult to determine which specific compound in a complex sample is responsible for a biological effect, slowing down screening for toxins, contaminants, and active ingredients.
Solution
chromnil provides an all-in-one high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) system that combines sample separation, biological testing, and quantification in a single connected workflow. The instrument automates five HPTLC steps—sample application, chromatographic development, bioassay spraying and incubation, derivatization, and imaging—on a single 10 × 10 cm plate. By running the bioassay directly on the separated plate, users can see exactly which compound zone produces a biological effect, whether bright, dark, or pale. The system supports up to 9 samples per plate and includes integrated humidity and temperature control for reproducible separations. A 12 MP camera captures images under UV and white light after each stage, providing the raw data for quantitative evaluation against reference standards.
Target Audience
Primary users are analytical laboratories in environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical quality control, and natural product research that need to screen complex samples for biologically active compounds, contaminants, and adulterants.
Features
- Automated five-step workflow: application, development, bioassay, derivatization, and detection in one connected system with a 0.1 m² footprint
- Nanoliter-precision sample applicator that builds narrow bands from ~10 nL drops, with a typical band using about 1 µL
- Integrated saturation chamber that doses ~2 mL of mobile phase and monitors temperature and humidity for reproducible separations
- Piezoelectric nebulizer for uniform spraying of bioassay test systems (bacteria, yeast cells, enzymes) and derivatization reagents
- Built-in incubator operating at 30–37 °C for bioassay incubation periods from minutes to three hours
- 12 MP camera in a light-tight housing with long exposures for bioluminescence detection, imaging under UVA 365 nm, UVC 265 nm, visible light, and white-light back illumination
- Open-source hardware and software lineage documented in peer-reviewed publications, with validated repeatability of 2.5–6.0 % RSD and R² of 0.9921–0.9982