The Analytical Scientist / Issues / 2026 / April / Why Countercurrent Chromatography Still Matters / Summary
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Why Countercurrent Chromatography Still Matters

Martha Knight reflects on a lifetime of separations shaped by CCC

By James Strachan 04/22/2026 9 min read

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Countercurrent chromatography (CCC) is a powerful liquid-liquid partitioning technique that stands out in separation science for its high efficiency in analyzing complex compounds. Martha Knight, Executive Director at CCBiotech, shares her journey with CCC, starting from its early usage at Rockefeller University to her recent accomplishments in peptide synthesis and natural product research. Despite its potential, CCC remains underappreciated, especially in the US compared to its growing recognition in Europe and Asia, where it finds applications in various industries including food and cannabis.

About the Author(s)

James Strachan

Over the course of my Biomedical Sciences degree it dawned on me that my goal of becoming a scientist didn’t quite mesh with my lack of affinity for lab work. Thinking on my decision to pursue biology rather than English at age 15 – despite an aptitude for the latter – I realized that science writing was a way to combine what I loved with what I was good at. From there I set out to gather as much freelancing experience as I could, spending 2 years developing scientific content for International Innovation, before completing an MSc in Science Communication. After gaining invaluable experience in supporting the communications efforts of CERN and IN-PART, I joined Texere – where I am focused on producing consistently engaging, cutting-edge and innovative content for our specialist audiences around the world.

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