As we continue to build our relationship, which has been formed over the last 3 years, we’ve helped our client, Stefaniya, achieve her goal in becoming an expert in a new analytical chemistry technique, following a career change, which has led to her becoming a person of reliability among her colleagues. This article has been written by Stefaniya directly with permission to share.
My first contact with Anthias dates back to one of the biggest career changes I have made. After completing my PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, I had built my experience around LC and LC-MS. An opportunity then arose to become a Technical Expert at the University of Antwerp, supporting a newly installed GC-QTOF-MS platform used for clinical research on exhaled breath biomarkers in collaboration with Antwerp University Hospital.
It was both exciting and intimidating. I became responsible for maintaining the instrument and supporting the analytical workflow for seven PhD projects, yet my experience with gas chromatography was limited to theory. Breath analysis, thermal desorption, and GC-QTOF-MS were completely new to me. I accepted the challenge knowing there was a lot to learn. Although I spent countless hours studying manuals and learning through experience, I soon realized I needed structured training to build a solid foundation and confidently support the lab.
That search led me to Anthias and their five-day Hands-on GC and GC-MS course in Milton Keynes. Looking back, it was exactly what I needed. The course combined theory, practical exercises and hands-on laboratory sessions, but what made the biggest impression was the people. From the first day, it never felt like a traditional classroom. We all sat around one table, discussing real analytical problems rather than simply listening to lectures.
Diane immediately stood out. It was obvious how much she genuinely enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge. No question ever felt too simple, and every discussion was linked back to real laboratory situations. The course manual became one of my most valuable references, and I still use it today. More importantly, I left with a completely different mindset. I returned to the laboratory with greater confidence, introduced more structured maintenance and tracking procedures, and approached troubleshooting logically and systematically instead of relying on trial and error.
As my role developed, so did my relationship with Anthias. I attended further online courses on the Absolute Basics in Chemometrics and Applied Interpretation of GC-MS spectra, which strengthened my ability to analyse complex datasets and support biomarker discovery projects.
One moment especially demonstrated the value of that relationship. While preparing results for an important conference presentation, we discovered unexpected instrument performance issues that put the quality of our data into question. This was not just another experiment; it was a study defining our laboratory’s workflow for storing breath samples, with implications for current and future projects. The abstract had already been accepted, supported by an Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Travel Grant, and the pressure was high.
Anthias was the first place I turned. Despite the short notice, they helped identify contamination from a previous user as the root cause and guided us through a systematic recovery strategy. Their advice gave us confidence in the data, allowed us to present our work successfully, and transformed what could have been a major setback into a valuable learning experience.
Anthias has become far more than a training provider. They have been a trusted partner throughout my professional development, helping me grow from someone new to GC into the person colleagues rely on for GC-MS expertise. In return, I have continued investing in their training and confidently recommend Anthias whenever colleagues ask where they can learn chromatography properly. For me, that is the strongest measure of a successful partnership.
Thank you for your kind words Stefaniya. We’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with you and helping you grow in your expertise and support you with your work.
