Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer for Metabolomics Analysis

描述(由申请者提供)：申请资金用于在德克萨斯大学圣安东尼奥健康科学中心(UTHSCSA)进行靶向定量代谢组学分析的三重四极杆质谱仪和高效液相色谱系统，指导苏珊·温特劳布博士，她在生物医学质谱学方面有30多年的经验。所要求的仪器将为正在南得克萨斯州研究设施(STRF)建立的新的UTHSCSA代谢组学实验室提供必要的分析能力，该实验室目前正在建设中，预计将于2011年5月完工。STRF旨在最大化基于主题的合作努力，并将容纳以下一般领域的约50名研究人员的研究活动：成人癌症、糖尿病和代谢生物学、健康老龄化、神经科学和再生医学。将设在STRF的核心实验室将向UTHSCSA的所有调查人员和其他机构的研究人员提供协作和支助服务。获得所需的质谱仪和高效液相系统将为推动大量研究人员的研究工作提供一个巨大的机会，这些研究人员研究由美国国立卫生研究院资助的各种与健康相关的重要主题，包括衰老、肌萎缩侧索硬化症(ALS)、癌症、心血管疾病、糖尿病、肥胖、胎盘功能，以及母亲营养对子女短期和长期健康的影响。此外，还将研究各种关键的生化系统，如三羧酸循环和一氧化氮合酶系统中的代谢缺陷。将代谢组学分析添加到这些已建立的研究计划中，对于充分回答提出的许多假设和为新的探索方向提供指导是必不可少的。建立一个侧重于定量测量的实验室将有助于维持必要的标准化做法，这些做法对于确保高质量的数据至关重要。新的代谢组学实验室的活动将补充主校园内专注于蛋白质分析的质谱学设施的努力。收购用于定向定量分析的三重四极杆质谱仪和高效液相系统，有可能对NIH资助的涵盖生物医学研究的所有学科的大量研究产生积极影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Funds are requested to purchase a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and HPLC system for targeted quantitative metabolomics analysis at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), under the direction of Dr. Susan Weintraub, who has over 30 years experience in biomedical mass spectrometry. The requested instrumentation will provide essential analytical capabilities for a new UTHSCSA metabolomics laboratory that is being established in the South Texas Research Facility (STRF) that is currently under construction and expected to be completed in May 2011. The STRF has been designed to maximize thematically-based collaborative efforts and will house the research activities of approximately 50 investigators working in the following general areas: adult cancer, diabetes and metabolic biology, healthy aging, neuroscience, and regenerative medicine. The core laboratories that will be housed in the STRF will be available for collaborative and support services to all UTHSCSA investigators and to researchers at other institutions. Acquisition of the requested mass spectrometer and HPLC system affords a tremendous opportunity to advance the research efforts of a large number of investigators studying a variety of important NIH-funded, health-related topics, including aging, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, placental function, and the consequences of maternal nutrition on short-term and long-term offspring health. In addition, a variety of key biochemical systems will be investigated, such as metabolic defects in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the nitric oxide synthase system. Addition of metabolomics analyses to these established research programs is essential to fully answer many of the hypotheses posed and to provide guidance for new directions to be explored. Setting up a laboratory that focuses on quantitative measurements will facilitate maintenance of the necessary standardization practices that are essential for assuring high-quality data. The activities of the new metabolomics laboratory will complement the efforts of the main campus mass spectrometry facility that concentrate on protein analyses. The acquisition of triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and HPLC system for targeted quantitative analysis has the potential to positively impact a large number of NIH-funded investigations covering the full array of disciplines in biomedical research.