EAGER: Metabolomics Analysis of Archival Marine Invertebrates

非技术项目描述自然历史博物馆，如华盛顿特区的史密森尼国家自然历史博物馆（NMNH），除其他外，是生物标本的储存库。保存在NMNH的标本是几十年来在全球范围内获得的，形成了目前生物和化学信息的宝库。例如，在海洋无脊椎动物的组织中发现的化合物（代谢物）可以记录生物体对不断变化的环境的反应。该项目旨在建立一种分析NMNH中南极海洋无脊椎动物中这些化合物的策略。这些生物对于研究它们的代谢物特别有价值，因为这些信息将有助于我们了解极地环境的历史，以及生物如何能够适应极端的栖息地。此外，对这些罕见且难以获得的代谢物的研究在生物技术和人类健康方面具有广泛的影响。项目技术描述本项目旨在开发一个工作流程，用于分析史密森国家自然历史博物馆（NMNH）保存的海洋无脊椎动物标本中的代谢物。质谱（MS）和核磁共振（NMR）光谱学的最新进展，无论是仪器还是分析平台，都使这些难以获得的代谢物的化学结构的检测和注释成为可能。特别是，将实施核磁共振策略（纯移核磁共振），以提高对这些样品限制分析物的灵敏度。此外，该工作流程将应用于NMNH使用的存储方法的分析，目的是了解如何最好地保存标本以用于未来的代谢组学分析。随着优化工作流程的建立，更多的应用程序可以帮助我们了解南极极端栖息地的适应和（神秘的）物种形成。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Non-technical project descriptionMuseums of natural history, such as the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington, D.C., are repositories for, among other things, biological specimens. Specimens stored at the NMNH were obtained over many decades and across the globe, resulting in what is currently a treasure trove of biological and chemical information. Chemical compounds (metabolites) found in the tissues of, for example, marine invertebrates, can record the organism’s response to a changing environment. This project seeks to establish a strategy for analyzing these compounds in Antarctic marine invertebrates held in the NMNH. These organisms are especially valuable for studies of their metabolites as such information will contribute to our understanding of the history of the polar environment and how organisms are able to adapt to extreme habitats. Further, studies of these rare and difficult to obtain metabolites have broad impacts in biotechnology and human health.Technical description of the projectThis project seeks to develop a workflow for the analysis of metabolites in archival marine invertebrate specimens held in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, both instrumental as well as analysis platforms, enable the detection and annotation of chemical structures in these otherwise difficult to obtain metabolites. In particular, NMR strategy (Pure Shift NMR) will be implemented to increase sensitivity toward these sample-limited analytes. Further, the workflow will be applied in an analysis of storage methods used by the NMNH with the aim of understanding how best to preserve specimens for future metabolomics analyses. With an optimized workflow established, additional applications to inform our understanding of adaptation and (cryptic) speciation in the extreme habitats found in Antarctica are possible.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.