“This collaboration with Agilent shows what’s possible when academia and industry work hand in hand. It allows us to move beyond measuring known contaminants toward discovering the thousands of unregulated chemicals that may be circulating in our environment and bodies. That knowledge is essential for protecting communities and informing smart regulation.” Said Assoc. Prof. Brad Clarke at University of Melbourne.

This marks the second collaboration between Agilent and the University of Melbourne in the context of emerging contaminant research addressing Australia’s priorities in improving population health. Under the technical refresh program, led by renowned Australian environmental scientist Assoc. Prof. Brad Clarke, research will tackle new pollutants, from synthetic per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to microplastics and flame retardants, driving cutting-edge solutions developed in Australia for Australia.

“We are proud to launch the Agilent Innovation Hub with ALEC, advancing biomonitoring insights, to improve population health in Australia. Leveraging our 6495C Triple Quad LC and LDIR systems, we’ve pioneered ultra-trace detection, achieving world-class breakthroughs in parts per quadrillion (PPQ)-level quantitation of PFAS and microplastics in drinking water¹. This partnership further Agilent’s leadership in innovation and our strategic expansion across Asia, following the establishment of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) within flagship university campuses in South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia.” Said Bharat Bhardwaj, vice president of APAC sales at Agilent.

At the heart of the Agilent Innovation Hub is a commitment to strengthening the discovery pipeline by combining new capabilities across InfinityLab Assist Technology, InfinityLab Level Sensing, InfinityLab Sample ID Reader, and high-resolution Revident Quadruple Time of Flight LC/MS. Together, these innovations elevate automation and accuracy, allowing scientists to identify previously undetected compounds with unmatched precision.

Since 2017, Agilent’s long-term collaboration with Assoc. Prof. Brad Clarke has driven continuous innovation, from early studies using Agilent’s 6495B Triple Quad LC/MS system to a pivotal 2019 application note publication. This momentum led to the 2020 establishment of the ALEC research facility, with Agilent as one of its founding industry partners, further advancing Australia’s leadership in environmental analysis and sustainable scientific innovation.

¹  Ultra-Trace Quantification of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Drinking Water