Acquisition of a Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometer Facility for Life Science Studies

华盛顿州立大学的李博士获得了一笔赠款，用于建立一个稳定的同位素比质谱仪(IRMS)设施，用于生命科学研究。稳定的同位素天然存在于所有生物体中。几乎所有的生物活性都涉及含有这些同位素的化合物。碳、氮和硫的稳定同位素测量为确定这些元素的来源和沉积过程提供了强有力的手段。因此，稳定的同位素数据提供了一个指纹，揭示了生物体的历史和体内发生的代谢过程。华盛顿州立大学的研究人员将应用稳定的同位素数据来研究不同学科的问题，包括：野生动物和种群生态学、生理学、植物分子生物学、农业科学和人类营养学。这对生物学家来说是一项令人兴奋的技术，因为可以从野生种群获得信息，而不必对它们进行实验操作。可以分析微小的样本，可以由树叶、羽毛、血液或一根头发组成。此外，可以使用标记了稳定同位素的化合物进行实验研究，提供了一种可以安全地用于人类和其他生物体的非放射性方法。C.Robbins和L.Shipley将使用稳定的同位素来研究在自然界中很难观察到的或已经灭绝了数千年的野生动物的饮食(例如灰熊和洞熊)。生理学研究将由R.Lee、G.Edwards、K.Johnson和M.Kahn进行，以确定不寻常的深海喷口生物的新陈代谢适应、植物的光合作用机制、微生物对牛和羊消化的贡献，以及促进作物固氮的因素。M·韦伯斯特将使用这项技术作为追踪鸟类迁徙的一种新方法。M.McGuire将通过研究母乳中发现的脂肪酸的新陈代谢，使用稳定的同位素来确定母乳喂养与配方奶喂养对人类婴儿的好处。虽然稳定同位素在生命科学中的应用越来越多，但由生物学家运营的设施很少。因此，样品分析费用昂贵，优先级较低。新的研究很难启动。这一新资助的设施将通过以低成本快速进行分析来加强现有的研究项目。在威斯康星州立大学购买仪器还将允许首席研究员、博士后、研究生和本科生接受稳定同位素方法方面的培训。由于西苏里州立大学有大量的生命科学学科，扩大使用范围是可能的。这些学科的代表是生物科学和分子生物科学的学术部门，以及农业、兽医、自然资源科学和制药科学。一个专门用于生物研究的设施的存在可能会刺激稳定同位素技术的新的和创新的应用。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Lee at Washington State University to set up a stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) facility for life science research. Stable isotopes occur naturally in all organisms. Virtually all biological activities involve compounds containing these isotopes. Measurements of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur provide a powerful means of establishing the sources of these elements and the processes involved in their deposition. Therefore stable isotope data provide a fingerprint revealing the history of an organism and the metabolic processes occurring within. Researchers at WSU will apply stable isotope data to investigate questions in diverse disciplines including: wildlife and population ecology, physiology, plant molecular biology, agricultural science, and human nutrition.This is an exciting technology for biologists because information can be gained from wild populations without having to subject them to experimental manipulation. Minute samples can be analyzed, and can consist of leaves, feathers, blood, or a single hair. In addition, experimental investigations can be conducted using compounds labeled with stable isotopes, providing a non-radioactive method that can safely be used in humans and other organisms. C. Robbins and L. Shipley will use stable isotopes to investigate diets of wildlife that are difficult to observe in nature or have been extinct for thousands of years (e.g., grizzly bears and cave bears). Physiological investigations will be conducted by R. Lee, G. Edwards, K. Johnson, and M. Kahn to determine metabolic adaptations in unusual deep-sea vent organisms, mechanisms of photosynthesis in plants, the contribution of microorganisms to digestion in cows and sheep, and factors that promote nitrogen fixation by crop plants. M. Webster will use this technology as a novel means of tracking bird migrations. M. McGuire will use stable isotopes to determine the benefits of breastfeeding vs. formula-feeding in human infants by studying the metabolism of fatty acids found in breastmilk. While stable isotopes are finding increased use in life sciences, very few facilities are run by biologists. Consequently sample analyses are expensive and receive low priority. New studies are difficult to initiate. This newly funded facility will enhance existing research projects by enabling analyses to be performed quickly and at low cost. Acquisition of instrumentation at WSU will also allow principal investigator, postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate training in stable isotope methods. Expansion of use is likely, due to the large number of life science disciplines present at WSU. These disciplines are represented by academic divisions in biological sciences and molecular biosciences, as well as agriculture, veterinary medicine, natural resource science, and pharmaceutical science. The presence of a facility geared towards biological studies will likely stimulate new and innovative applications of stable isotope techniques.