Automate your wet chemical analysis

Importance of the topic

The automation of wet chemical analysis addresses a common bottleneck in routine analytical laboratories: labor‑intensive, time‑consuming, multi‑parameter assays for food, beverage and water matrices. By enabling walkaway operation, standardized reagent handling and high throughput, discrete analyzers improve laboratory productivity, traceability and data quality while reducing reagent use and operator error.

Objectives and overview of the brochure

This document presents the Thermo Scientific Gallery discrete analyzer platform and associated ready‑to‑use Gallery system reagents for enzymatic and colorimetric assays. Primary aims are to summarize the instrument capabilities, typical analytes and matrices covered (food, beverage, drinking, industrial and environmental water) and the workflow advantages compared with traditional wet chemistry and flow systems.

Methodology and analytical approach

The Gallery platform implements discrete photometric and electrochemical (ECM) measurement techniques that can operate in parallel on a single instrument. The system uses low‑volume, discrete cuvettes and preformatted, ready‑to‑use reagent kits to perform enzymatic, colorimetric and titrimetric assays. Integrated features include barcode tracking for samples and reagents, continuous monitoring of reagent volume/lot/expiry, and a small footprint reagent architecture designed to minimize waste. The platform supports transfer of many assays previously performed on flow injection or segmented flow analyzers.

Instrumentation used

• Thermo Scientific Gallery discrete analyzer (photometric + electrochemical modules)
• Thermo Scientific Gallery System Reagents (ready‑to‑use enzymatic and colorimetric kits)
• Integrated barcode reader and low‑volume cuvettes
• Support for third‑party reagents for selected analytes

Main analytes and application areas

The platform targets multiparameter testing across food & beverage and water sectors. Representative analytes and parameters include:

• Food & beverage: organic acids (citric, malic, lactic, succinic, tartaric, etc.), sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose), alcohol/ethanol, bitterness, HMF, total polyphenols, free and total SO2, TKN/Alpha‑Amino Nitrogen, proteins and many specialty assays (some via third‑party reagents).
• Water & environmental: anions (fluoride, chloride, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate), cations (ammonia, calcium, magnesium, potassium), nutrients (TKN, TON, total phosphorus), metals (total iron, manganese, aluminum, copper, zinc), alkalinity, hardness, pH and conductivity.

The brochure notes compliance targets for common regulatory methods (ISO, AOAC, ASBC, OIV, IDF, USEPA, ASTM, DIN) and emphasizes low‑ppb detection limits and high accuracy for many water analytes.

Main results and discussion

Key performance and workflow characteristics highlighted are:

• High throughput: the discrete design enables up to ~200–350 tests per hour depending on assays and configuration.
• Multiparameter per sample: the instrument can run many assays from a single aliquot, reducing sample handling and total turnaround time.
• Reduced reagent consumption and waste: low‑volume cuvettes and optimized reagent packaging lower per‑test reagent use relative to traditional bulk reagent workflows.
• Walkaway automation: barcode traceability and reagent monitoring lower operator burden and improve traceability.
• Flexibility: a broad menu of ready‑to‑use assays plus the ability to use third‑party reagents for certain analytes; potential to migrate assays from other analyzer types.

Discussion points include the clear labor and cost advantages for medium‑throughput labs, balanced against the need to validate some third‑party reagent methods and to configure the instrument appropriately for specific regulatory methods and matrix interferences.

Benefits and practical applications

The Gallery discrete analyzers deliver several practical benefits for routine laboratories:

• Increased laboratory throughput and reduced hands‑on time through walkaway operation.
• Improved data traceability via integrated barcode handling and reagent tracking.
• Lower reagent and waste volumes, contributing to cost savings and greener lab operations.
• Consolidation of multiple analytical techniques (photometry and ECM) on a single platform reduces instrument count and bench space.
• Applicability across diverse matrices—beer, wine, juice, milk/food extracts, drinking water, groundwater, wastewater—supporting QA/QC, regulatory compliance and process monitoring.

Limitations and practical considerations

• Some analytes rely on third‑party reagents; these require verification and validation for each matrix and regulatory context.
• As with any discrete or automated platform, method setup, calibration procedures and interference management remain critical to meet accreditation requirements.
• While the system supports many transferred assays from FIA/SFA platforms, not all flow‑based methods convert without revalidation or method adaptation.

Future trends and possibilities for use

Anticipated developments and opportunities include:

• Expanded catalog of validated ready‑to‑use reagent kits covering additional specialty assays relevant to food authenticity, allergen‑related proxies and emerging contaminants in water.
• Tighter LIMS integration and cloud connectivity for remote monitoring, automated reporting and enhanced QA workflows.
• Further reagent miniaturization and greener chemistries to reduce cost and environmental footprint.
• Machine‑learning assisted method optimization and interference correction to simplify method transfer and improve robustness across complex matrices.
• Broader adoption in decentralized testing environments (on‑site plant labs, mobile labs) where walkaway, compact multiparameter analysis is valuable.

Conclusion

The Thermo Scientific Gallery discrete analyzer family, paired with ready‑to‑use system reagents, offers a practical automation path for laboratories seeking to increase throughput and standardize routine wet chemical assays across food, beverage and water testing. The platform's combination of multiparameter capability, low reagent consumption, integrated traceability and parallel photometric/electrochemical measurement makes it particularly attractive for medium‑throughput labs undergoing growth or consolidation of analytical services. Successful deployment requires appropriate method validation, especially where third‑party reagents are used or when migrating assays from other analyzer types.

Reference

• Thermo Fisher Scientific. 2020. Thermo Scientific Gallery discrete analyzers and Gallery system reagents brochure (product literature).