Novel Applications of Trace Metal Stable Isotopes in Medical Research

多收集器电感耦合等离子体质谱(MC-ICP-MS)在痕量金属稳定同位素分析中的应用，自20多年前提出以来，已在地球化学中得到了很好的应用。然而，这些仪器在医学和生命科学研究中的使用才刚刚开始，应用范围很广，从诊断到机械理解。这个项目将调查痕量金属同位素分析的使用，最初是为医学背景下的地球化学研究开发的，特别是在神经科学、肿瘤学和毒理学的研究中。分析工作将在伦敦帝国理工学院地球科学与工程系魔术研究中心的净室和质谱室进行该项目的跨学科性质意味着，成功的候选人将需要与来自医学、生物、化学和工程的学术专业人员进行有效的沟通。

The application of multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(MC-ICP-MS) for trace metal stable isotope analysis is well established withingeochemistry since the conception of the technique about 20 years ago. The use ofsuch instruments in medical and life science research has only just begun, however,and the scope of applications is vast, from diagnosis to mechanistic understanding.This project will investigate the use of trace metal isotope analyses, originallydeveloped for geochemical research, within a medical context, in particular for studiesin neurosciences, oncology, and toxicology.The analytical work will be carried out in the clean room and mass spectrometrylaboratories of the MAGIC Research Center at the Department of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College London (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/earth-science/research/research-groups/magic/). The inter-disciplinary nature of the project implies that the successful candidate will need to communicate effectively withacademic professionals from medicine, biology, chemistry and engineering.