Thermo/Finnigan TSQ AM Triple Stage Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer

描述（由申请人提供）：脂类是一种不同类型的疏水有机化合物，可以自结合形成细胞膜。除了这个关键的结构功能，脂质储存能量，是合成细胞内和细胞外信号分子的重要前体。最近在脂质系统级分析方面的进展已经建立了质谱法作为最先进的脂质分析方法。我们广泛的长期目标是提供这些技术来推进肯塔基大学十名高产研究者的研究目标，他们对确定脂质及其代谢物在生理和病理生理过程中的作用有共同的兴趣，包括癌症、炎症、肥胖、糖尿病和心血管疾病。具体目的是申请资金，以获得Thermo/Finnigan TSQ MS/MS高性能三级四极杆质谱仪，该质谱仪将安置在肯塔基大学的质谱分析设施中。该仪器将用于检测，结构表征，最重要的是，定量磷脂，鞘脂，脂肪酸（包括二十烷类）类异戊二烯和甾醇样品来源于细胞临床和/或临床前来源，这样做具有前所未有的分辨率，精度和灵敏度。目前，在肯塔基大学，这些研究人员无法获得这种结构和所需灵敏度的合适仪器；其他可能用于其中一些分析的不同配置的仪器被大量用于其他目的。因此，这些研究人员被迫使用间接或不充分的方法来完成他们的研究目标，或者在与其他机构的研究人员合作的基础上使用适当的仪器。获得这台仪器将使这组研究人员能够更有效地完成他们当前和未来的研究项目，以产生最佳的研究成果。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Lipids are a diverse class of hydrophobic organic compounds that can self associate to form cellular membranes. In addition to this critical structural function, lipids store energy and are important precursors for the synthesis of intra- and extra- cellular signaling molecules. Recent advances in the systems-level analysis of lipids have established mass spectrometry as the state-of the-art approach for lipid analysis. Our broad long-term objective is to provide these technologies to advance the research goals of ten highly productive investigators at the University of Kentucky with a shared interest in defining roles of lipids and their metabolites in physiological and pathophysiological processes including cancer, inflammation, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The specific aim is to request funds to acquire a Thermo/Finnigan TSQ MS/MS high performance triple stage-quadrupole mass spectrometer to be housed in the University of Kentucky Mass Spectrometry Facility. This instrument will be used to detect, structurally characterize and, most importantly, quantitate phospholipids, sphingolipids, fatty acids (including eicosanoids) isoprenoids and sterols in samples derived from cellular clinical and/or preclinical sources and to do so with unprecedented resolution, precision and sensitivity. No suitable instrument of this configuration and with the required sensitivity is presently available to these investigators for this purpose at the University of Kentucky; other instruments of different configurations potentially available for some of these analyses are heavily used for other purposes. Consequently, these investigators are forced to use indirect or inadequate methodologies to accomplish their research goals or to use appropriate instrumentation on a collaborative basis with investigators at other institutions. Acquisition of this instrument would allow this group of investigators to complete their current and future research projects far more efficiently to generate optimal research outcomes.