1. Mass Spectrometry Importance and Uses in the Crop Protection Industry J. Skopec Agrifor Scientific

2. Mass spectrometry is one of the most important techniques used in today modern laboratories and especially chemical industry.
Mass Spectrometry is the most essential tool in the following areas:
Pharmaceutical: drug discovery, combinatorial chemistry, pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism
Clinical: neonatal screening, haemoglobin analysis, drug testing
Environmental: PAHs, PCBs, water quality, food analysis and contamination
Geological: oil composition
Biotechnology: the analysis of proteins, peptides
Agricultural and veterinary chemicals

3. 2017 Overview-Worldwide market Size of Australian market: 2 billion

5. Cost of bringing new product to the market

6. Crop Protection Chemicals Food crops compete with up to 30,000 species of weeds, 3,000 species of nematodes (microscopic worms) and 10,000 species of plant-eating insects, as well as viruses, fungi, mites and mice.
Insecticides
Fungicides
Herbicides
Plant hormones
Chemical growth agents
Biocides
Adjuvants
Veterinary chemicals

7. 2013 sector output by type of product Australian market
Share (%)
Adjuvants/surfactants
83.6
3.4
Fungicide
218.0
8.8
Growth promoters/regulators
38.1
1.5
Herbicide
1,301.9
52.6
Insecticide
413.1
16.7
Seed treatments
39.3
1.6
Wood preservative
48.7
2.0
Others
331.5
13.4
Total
2,474.2
100.0

8. Agrifor Scientific-Contract Research Organisation CRO
AgriFor Scientific is a Contract Research Organisation (CRO) established in 2003 with a vision to provide service to clients wishing to register agricultural and veterinary chemicals in Australia and overseas.
Unique synergy of skills and accumulated experience in multidisciplinary fields of analytical, organic and synthetic chemistry, agrichemical, forensic drugs analysis, and regulatory affairs guaranties that customer needs will be met with the highest efficiency and scientific integrity.
AgriFor Scientific Pty Ltd is recognised as a GLP Test Facility compliant with the OECD Principles of Good Laboratory Practice.

9. Capabilities: GLP 5-Batch Studies
Analysis of active (quantitation and identification)
Ag/Vet chemicals impurity profile, full structure elucidation, preparation of impurity standards by extraction or synthesis
Analysis of relevant (toxic) impurities
QC Testing of Actives and Formulations
Stability studies
Head space analysis of solvents, semi-volatiles and volatiles

10. Capabilities (cont.): . Chiral chromatography
Impurity standards certification
Physical Chemical properties wide range of tests according to the OECD, US EPA OPPTS and EC guidelines
Preparation of monographs
Research and method development
Problem solving
New product development
Registration and consultancy

11. To date: 300 + Actives 1200 + significant impurity standards
100 + relevant impurity analysis
100 + companies
Office in China
Global presence in all countries, especially China, US, South America, South East Asia and Europe

12. Techniques: HPLC with PDA, Light Scattering, Rf detectors GC-FID
GC-MS (SIM, TIC)
LC-MS, LC/MS-MS, MALDI, QTOF, ORBI-TRAP
NMR, QNMR
FTIR UV
TGA
Titrations KF

13. Mass spectrometry application in analysis of Crop protection Chemicals
Most essential tool in screening, analysis and identification of active and significant impurities
Quantitative analysis of relevant impurities at the trace levels
Head space analysis of residual solvents and reagents
Product/Formulation development

14. Few examples: low molecular weight compounds

15. More examples: Macromolecules

16. More examples: Relevant impurities, SIM analysis

17. More examples: Head space: solvents, SIM

18. …what we do well? …..not so well Effective communication with: Clients
Government regulators, especially with APVMA
Cooperation with Chinese universities
Outsourced organic chemistry to Chinese laboratories
…..not so well
Isolated from the Government resources and scientific organisations
Lack of effective communications with those bodies
Lack of resources such as high cost instruments
Training of staff
Access to literature and new scientific developments
Joint research projects