Martin Gilar

Meet Martin Gilar

In another life… My teenage aspirations were to spend most of my time on my computer, and grow long hair my parents would not approve of. During the pandemic in 2019-2020, I came dangerously close. That being crossed off my list, I need to come up with a new plan. Write a science-fiction novel? Prospect for gold and minerals? Fly into outer space? I am working on it.

Biggest challenge… I think it is the challenge of LC education. Universities are educating very few chromatographers. The pharma, biopharma, and chemical industries are struggling to attract LC experts. Overall, the level of analytical expertise is declining at a frightening speed. This trend, combined with the development of new biotherapies, puts stress on the industry. Part of the solution is the development of robust and easy-to-use instruments, as well as software guided approaches to LC method development. Still, somebody will have to pick up the education slack – and this may be an opportunity for the next generation of entrepreneurs.