Assessing Amino Acid Racemization in Avian Eggshells through Reverse Phase Liquid Chromatography

The extent of amino acid racemization (AAR) observed in organic material offers insight into geochronology. Within the scope of AAR research, Avian eggshells are reliable sources of data due to retention of indigenous amino acids through calcification. This project develops a robust quantification methodology for up to 9 D/L amino acids using reverse-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) with precolumn derivatization. Reliable quantitation is established via statistical assessment of detectability and calibration curves. Progress has focused on obtaining adequate enantioseparation and reproducible data of single D/L amino acids