DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR ENDOTOXINS IN ENVIRONMENTAL, FOOD, AND WATER SAMPLES

Abstract

Many resources have been committed to the search for endotoxins in pharmaceutical solutions, as even miniscule concentrations can be dangerous. It would be ironic if drugs meant to save people's lives ended up harming them. Although conventional methods based on the biological response of endotoxins have been well-established for some time, as technology advances, many limitations have emerged in recent years. As a result, data obtained through chemical analytical methods becomes useful for cross-validating the results obtained by the biological assays.

In this thesis, novel approaches for determining the endotoxins by Gram-negative bacteria have been established. The methods demonstrated the ability of pyrolysis to significantly simplify sample preparation, creating workflows which can effectively fingerprint the endotoxins from multiple sample types. The data obtained would be beneficial for large-scale design and usage that can be applied to routinely monitor the environment, food, and water.