UAT - Metabolomics
GINYS-VHIR-005
Rosario M Prieto Sánchez
Cap de la Unitat
It offers the research community a metabolomics platform that includes mass spectrometry and chromatography equipment. These techniques, combined with others such as NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), allow to obtain quantitative and qualitative data of metabolites, drugs and small peptides that are present in biological substrates such as serum, plasma, urine, cell tissues or cell cultures.
Resources and additional information
The High Technology Unit (UAT) is the core-preclinical facility of the VHIR that offers researchers state-of-the-art equipment and specialized technical advice, offering different services within its five Platforms (Genomics, Cytometry, Molecular Diagnosis, Metabolomics and Microscopy) :
This platform aims to offer the scientific community services and protocols related to functional genomics, mainly dedicated to the profile of gene expression through microarrays: This platform is complemented by the services of our genomics platform, both for quantitative and qualitative analysis of acids as for the validation of the results obtained by qPCR.
Services
- Development of analytical methods for the detection and quantification of endogenous and exogenous analytes in biological substrates (ie, serum, urine, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, cell tissues and cultures).
- Methodological support for self-service users.
There is also assistance with experimental design, implementation of new protocols and analysis and interpretation of data
APLICATIONS
Chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques provide great sensitivity compared to NMR (femtomol detection limit) and allow the detection of about 4000 different substances.
Some examples of determinations that have been made on the platform are:
- Vitamins (i.e., D2 and D3) and serum phytoestrogens
- Determination of intermediate and final metabolites of different metabolic pathways
- Pharmacokinetic studies and determination of drugs in biological fluids and tissues
- Amino acids in urine, serum and cerebrospinal fluid
- Plasma or serum lipids
- Drug determination in nanoparticle release studies
- Efficiency of drug encapsulation in nanoparticles
- Determination of endogenous metabolites and drugs in samples of dry blood stains (DBS).
- Stability studies of biological drugs
Equipment
- Waters ACQUITY Ultra Performance LC assembled with an MS / MS Xevo TQ spectrometer (Waters). This station is also equipped with two additional detectors: ultraviolet / visible and fluorescence.
- Other mass spectrometers are available at the Vall d’Hebron Campus to develop customized proteomics projects, both directed and non-directed. In addition, there are massive specifications dedicated to clinical applications.
Staff
Rosario M Prieto Sánchez | rosa.prieto@vhir.org
| 610 541 499 ext29743
