Instrument to recapture and handle VOCs

希尔实验室专门研究非靶向（即，植物、微生物和哺乳动物产生的挥发性有机化合物的代谢组学。我们通常使用热解吸管（TDT）收集和浓缩VOCs，并在最先进的分析仪器上对其进行全面分析。不过，很多时候，我们只能在每个抽样点收集一个样本。因此，由于我们工作的非目标性，当我们每个时间点或采样点只有一个样品时，我们无法以完全优化的方式运行色谱。如果我们有能力提取一个样本并从中创建技术复制品，我们将能够优化分析。此外，拥有复制品将使我们能够在复制样品上添加验证标准品，以确认化合物或对其进行定量，并使我们能够将复制样品保存在银行中以供未来分析。我们可以通过购买一台Recollect 10 TM仪器来解决“一份珍贵样品”的问题。该系统可生成多达10份样品的技术重复样品，将一份样品均匀分布在所有试管中或稀释系列中。所要求的仪器是唯一一种市售的独立仪器，可以生成重复样本或稀释系列，而无需征用分析仪器。我们还需要一个机器人系统在分析系统上运行重新收集的TDT，因为Recollect 10 T中使用的TDT的几何形状和材料（钢）在我们目前的机器人上无法工作。我们选择了TD 100-xrTM机器人，这是一种自动热解吸系统，能够在一个序列中快速处理多达100个TDT，并与TDT兼容。这两个系统的使用将大大提高我们科学工作的质量。 我们已从仪器制造商处确认，UBC校园和不列颠哥伦比亚省的其他地方均未安装Recollect 10 TM仪器。其他能够重新收集TDT内容的仪器也是如此。 我们预计，18名HQP，包括博士后研究员，研究生和技术人员，将在未来5年内使用所要求的设备进行培训。我们多元化的HQP团队将在使用所需仪器的同时获得技术和实践培训，这将提高他们在生物医学和分析职位上的竞争力。

The Hill lab specializes in untargeted (i.e., discovery) metabolomics for VOCs produced by plants, microorganisms, and mammals. We typically use thermal desorption tubes (TDTs) for the collection and concentration of VOCs and analyze them comprehensively on state-of-the-art analytical instruments. However, very often, we can only collect one sample per sampling point. Therefore, due to the untargeted nature of our work, when we only have one sample per time point or sampling point, we cannot run our chromatography in a fully optimized manner. If we had the ability to take that one sample and create technical replicates from it, we would be able to optimize the analysis. In addition, having replicates would allow us us to spike in validation standards on replicate samples to confirm compounds or to quantify them as well as afford us the ability to preserve replicate samples in a bank for future analysis. We can solve our "one precious sample" problem via purchase of a Recollect 10TM instrument. This system generates up to 10 technical replicates of the sample, distributing one sample equally across all tubes or in a dilution series. The requested instrument is the only stand-alone instrument available commercially that can generate replicates or dilution series without the need to commandeer an analytical instrument. We also require a robot system to run the recollected TDTs on the analytical system as the TDTs used in the Recollect 10T are of a geometry and material (steel) that will not work on our current robot. We have selected the TD 100-xrTM robot, which is an automated thermal desorption system capable of rapid processing of up to 100 TDTs in a single sequence and is compatible with the TDTs. The use of these two systems will substantially improve the quality of our scientific work. We have confirmed from the instrument manufacturers that no Recollect 10TM instrument is present on the UBC campus nor elsewhere in British Columbia. The same is true of other instruments capable of recollecting TDT content. We anticipate that 18 HQP, including postdoctoral research fellows, graduate students and technical staff, will be trained using the requested equipment over the next 5 years. Our diverse team of HQP will acquire technical and hands-on-training while working with the requested instrument that will enhance their competitiveness for the biomedical and analytical positions.