Scientific evidence behind chromnil one
Last updated:The method and the open-source instrument behind chromnil one are documented in peer-reviewed journals, from the first open-source all-in-one system in 2018 to the 2LabsToGo-Eco and its applications in 2025 and 2026. Organised by evidence type; within each group, newest first.
The instrument
7 entriesPeer-reviewed descriptions and validations of the open-source system chromnil one builds on, from the 2LabsToGo-Eco back to the first all-in-one Office Chromatography device.
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Humidity control for the 2LabsToGo-Eco
Relative humidity inside the instrument regulated between 20 and 80 % independent of the room, with a repeatability of 4.3 % and a reproducibility of 3.3 % across plates, days and users.
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- Authors
- Anna Haase, Wolfgang Schwack, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Analytica Chimica Acta 1382 (2026) 344811.
- Relevance
- Why development is optimised by humidity rather than chamber saturation.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
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Faster operation of 2LabsToGo-Eco using Debian 13, Django 5, and Raspberry Pi 5, verified via screening of cannabidiol-containing oils
The system's software stack, updated to current versions and verified on 13 CBD oils after derivatization.
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- Authors
- Wolfgang Schwack, Jan Morlock, Lea Sing, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC 39 (2026) 119–124.
- Relevance
- The software base chromnil one's updates build on.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
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Consolidating two laboratories into the most sustainable lab of the future: 2LabsToGo-Eco
The 2LabsToGo-Eco with autosampler, nebulizer, mini-incubator and new imaging: repeatability 2.5 to 6.0 % RSD and R² 0.9921 to 0.9982 including two planar bioassays, comparable to about ten commercial devices; weight lower by a factor of 12, bench space by 9, energy by 4.
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- Authors
- Maria C. O. Romero, Kevin Jakob, Johannes Schmidt, Thomas Nimmerfroh, Wolfgang Schwack, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Analytica Chimica Acta 1367 (2025) 344103. Reference [2] on this page.
- Relevance
- The hardware generation chromnil one is developed from, and its validation with bioassays.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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Do-it-yourself, stand-alone, open-source nebulizer for derivatizations and bioassays in planar chromatography
The piezoelectric nebulizer for homogeneous application of reagents, fluorescence enhancers and bioassay cell suspensions, for plates up to 20 × 10 cm.
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- Authors
- Wolfgang Schwack, Johannes Schmidt, Thomas Nimmerfroh, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC 38 (2025) 383–389.
- Relevance
- The application technology behind the derivatization and incubation steps.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
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2LabsToGo: Recipe for building your own chromatography equipment including biological assay and effect detection
The first 2LabsToGo: sample application, development, derivatization, bioassay, incubation and detection in one 26 × 31 × 34 cm, 6.8 kg device, with results comparable to commercial instruments.
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- Authors
- Lea Sing, Wolfgang Schwack, Ralf Göttsche, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Analytical Chemistry 94 (2022) 14554–14564. Reference [3] on this page.
- Relevance
- The system used for the ergot alkaloid validation [1].
- Access
- Open access, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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Open-source all-in-one LabToGo Office Chromatography
The LabToGo with print-head application, plate heating and UV and visible imaging, verified on Stevia glycosides and with a bioluminescence bioassay on water samples.
Show details
- Authors
- Fabian Schade, Wolfgang Schwack, Yasemin Demirbas, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Analytica Chimica Acta 1174 (2021) 338702.
- Relevance
- The predecessor that added the bioassay to the all-in-one device.
- Access
- Subscription
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Office Chromatography: Miniaturized all-in-one open-source system for planar chromatography
The first all-in-one open-source HPTLC device, under 3 kg, with a footprint nine times smaller than the instruments it replaced.
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- Authors
- Dimitri Fichou, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Analytical Chemistry 90 (2018) 12647–12654.
- Relevance
- The start of the all-in-one lineage.
- Access
- Subscription
Applications and validation studies
7 entriesPeer-reviewed studies that used the 2LabsToGo or the 2LabsToGo-Eco on real samples, including two from laboratories outside the group that developed it.
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Hazardous compounds leached from cigarette butts by rainwater into the environment using planar bioassays and the 2LabsToGo
Cytotoxic, antibacterial, neuroactive, endocrine and genotoxic compounds in cigarette-waste leachates, screened with planar bioassays on the 2LabsToGo.
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- Authors
- Kevin Jakob, Rebecca M. Neuser, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Environmental Science: Advances 5 (2026) 2065–2075.
- Relevance
- An environmental screening use case.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY
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High-throughput testing for unknown mutagens and cytotoxica via duplex planar Ames–cytotoxicity bioassay including metabolic S9 activation
A duplex planar Ames and cytotoxicity bioassay with metabolic activation on teas, cosmetics, creams and perfumes, transferred to the 2LabsToGo-Eco.
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- Authors
- Karin Schmidtmann, Ann-Cathrin Kayser, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Analytical Chemistry 98 (2026) 7374–7391.
- Relevance
- Mutagenicity testing on the plate, on the Eco hardware.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
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Unmasking hazardous compounds in cannabidiol-containing oils using planar bioassays and high-resolution mass spectrometry
13 CBD oils screened with multiplex planar bioassays for 13 endpoints, hazards confirmed by high-resolution mass spectrometry; also performed on the 2LabsToGo-Eco.
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- Authors
- Anna Haase, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Talanta 302 (2026) 129273.
- Relevance
- The screen-then-confirm workflow from plate to mass spectrometry.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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Coffee by-products studied by the planar Ames bioassay with pH indicator endpoint using the 2LabsToGo-Eco
An official food-control laboratory (CVUA Karlsruhe) ran the planar Ames bioassay on the 2LabsToGo-Eco to test coffee leaves, blossoms, cherries and silverskin.
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- Authors
- Mahsa Monazzah, Christoph Herrmann, Gertrud E. Morlock, Jörg Fuchs, Dirk W. Lachenmeier
- Citation
- Toxics 13 (2025) 739.
- Relevance
- First use of the Eco by an official control laboratory.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
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Assessment of estrogenic and genotoxic activity in wastewater using planar bioassays
An independent group at the Medical University of Graz built the open-source 2LabsToGo and used it with the planar yeast estrogen screen and SOS-Umu-C assay on hospital and municipal wastewater.
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- Authors
- Marlene Windisch, Verena Rieser, Clemens Kittinger
- Citation
- Toxics 13 (2025) 936.
- Relevance
- Independent replication outside the developing group.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
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All-in-one 2LabsToGo system for analysis of ergot alkaloids in whole rye
The validation quoted on this page: repeatability 4.1% RSD against 4.8%, R² 0.9918 against 0.9890, LOD 0.4 ng per zone, recovery close to 100 %, verified against conventional HPTLC instruments.
Show details
- Authors
- Kevin Jakob, Wolfgang Schwack, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Food Chemistry 453 (2024) 139593. Reference [1] on this page.
- Relevance
- The source of the benchmark under Validation.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
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Miniaturized open-source 2LabsToGo screening of lactose-free dairy products and saccharide-containing foods
17 foods screened for saccharides; lactose with 4.6 % RSD and R² 0.9995, the same results as conventional HPTLC instrumentation.
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- Authors
- Gertrud E. Morlock, Julia Koch, Wolfgang Schwack
- Citation
- Journal of Chromatography A 1688 (2023) 463720.
- Relevance
- A quantitative food application with a status quo comparison.
- Access
- Subscription
Reviews and background
4 entriesWhere HPTLC with planar bioassays stands among analytical methods, and the workflow from active zone to mass spectrometry.
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Chemical safety screening of products: better proactive
A critical review arguing for effect-first screening of products, with the 2LabsToGo-Eco as the affordable all-in-one tool for it.
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- Authors
- Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Journal of Chromatography A 1752 (2025) 465946.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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Planar chromatographic super-hyphenations for rapid dereplication
The prioritisation workflow: imaging HPTLC, multiplex planar bioassays, then elution of the active zones to HPLC with diode-array detection and high-resolution mass spectrometry.
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- Authors
- Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Phytochemistry Reviews 24 (2025) 1–12.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
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Planar chromatography: current practice and future prospects
An independent overview of planar chromatography's place among separation methods.
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- Authors
- Ian D. Wilson, Colin F. Poole
- Citation
- Journal of Chromatography B 1214 (2023) 123553.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
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High-performance thin-layer chromatography combined with effect-directed assays and high-resolution mass spectrometry as an emerging hyphenated technology
The method tutorial: separation, planar bioassays and the hand-over of active zones to mass spectrometry, with the common assays and their endpoints.
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- Authors
- Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Analytica Chimica Acta 1180 (2021) 338644.
- Access
- Open access, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Standards behind the bioassays
4 entriesThe planar bioassays use the organisms and endpoints of these standardised water tests on the plate; they are based on the standards, not performed according to them.
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ISO 19040-1: Determination of the estrogenic potential of water and waste water, Part 1: Yeast estrogen screen
The basis of the planar yeast estrogen screen for hormone-like compounds.
Show details
- Citation
- ISO 19040-1:2018, confirmed 2024.
- Access
- ISO catalogue
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ISO 11348-3: Inhibitory effect of water samples on the light emission of Vibrio fischeri, Part 3: Freeze-dried bacteria
The basis of the bioluminescence bioassay with Aliivibrio fischeri for antibacterial and cytotoxic compounds.
Show details
- Citation
- ISO 11348-3:2007, under revision since 2026.
- Access
- ISO catalogue
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ISO 13829: Determination of the genotoxicity of water and waste water using the umu-test
The basis of the planar SOS-Umu-C bioassay for genotoxic compounds.
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- Citation
- ISO 13829:2000, confirmed 2021.
- Access
- ISO catalogue
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OECD Test Guideline 471: Bacterial reverse mutation test
The reference for the planar Ames bioassay for mutagenic compounds.
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- Citation
- OECD TG 471, adopted 1997, corrected version 2020.
- Access
- Open access
Open-source hardware and software
2 entriesThe published designs and code of the system, and the evaluation software used for the benchmark.
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2LabsToGo-Eco hardware, firmware and software
CAD files, bill of materials, electronics, firmware and the software of the 2LabsToGo-Eco, maintained by the Giessen group; hardware under the CERN Open Hardware Licence, software and firmware under GPL v3.
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- Citation
- Office Chromatography, Justus Liebig University Giessen, github.com/OfficeChromatography/2LabsToGo-Eco (last update 2026).
- Access
- Open source, CERN-OHL-P v2 and GPL v3
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quanTLC, an online open-source solution for videodensitometric quantification
The open-source software used to evaluate the benchmark under Validation.
Show details
- Authors
- Dimitri Fichou, Gertrud E. Morlock
- Citation
- Journal of Chromatography A 1560 (2018) 78–81. Reference [4] on this page.
- Access
- Subscription; the software is free at sv09010.ernaehrung.uni-giessen.de/quanTLC
Open-access papers are free to read. The numbers quoted on this page are from [1] and [2]; figures are reused only where the licence allows it (CC BY).