Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer for ultra-trace element analysis in biological and environmental systems

防晒霜、衣物、牙膏、食品包装等各种产品中金属微粒的广泛使用增加了它们在生物系统和环境中的浓度，包括没有水处理厂的农村和土著社区的饮用水。这些颗粒物如何影响我们的环境和影响人类和动物的健康在很大程度上是未知的。作为第一步，研究人员需要一种准确、灵敏和可靠的方法来测量单个金属颗粒。同样，为了设计针对肿瘤的含有金属的抗癌药物，测量单个细胞的药物摄取需要一种非常灵敏的技术。用来进行这种测量的传统仪器(如申请人实验室中的仪器)具有足够的灵敏度，但引入系统的大多数颗粒或细胞都会通过而不被检测到。这提供了一幅不完整的情况图景。即使是最先进的仪器也不能分析所有的颗粒和细胞，因为样品导入系统(这是这种仪器的致命弱点)浪费了90%以上的样品。37年来，申请者一直从事这一领域的研究，是世界领先的专家。她的小组对样品引进系统进行了许多基础性研究，并知道如何补救这种情况。在加拿大，没有其他人对这种类型的乐器有更深入的知识和经验。申请人的实验室是世界上唯一一个使用红外加热进样系统来消除样品浪费的实验室。这种新的方法，当与一种新的技术相结合时，有可能确保所有的颗粒或细胞都被测量，并且不会浪费样本。从本质上讲，环境或生物状况的完整图景将被实现，并由此可以做出关键的发现。例如，样品引入系统可以针对颗粒和细胞的分析进行优化，这将彻底改变目前世界各地进行这些测量的方式。具有样品引入系统红外线加热的改进仪器还将有可能测量金属含量如何影响单个酶的活性，这将导致更好地了解细菌如何降解污染物和生物合成类药物分子。最后，改进后的仪器将通过创造新的基于铜和镍的抗癌药物来为癌症药物发现领域提供信息。这些药物将极大地有利于患者获得比目前以铂为基础的药物更实惠(因此更公平)和更安全的药物。申请者和共同申请者致力于在这个快速增长的领域培训研究生，并将确保所有商业化方面的工作都在一家加拿大公司进行。

The widespread use of metallic particles in a variety of products, such as sunscreen lotions, clothing, toothpaste, food packaging, etc., increases their concentration in biological systems and the environment, including the potable water of rural and indigenous communities without water treatment plants. How these particles affect our environment and influence the health of humans and animals is largely unknown. As a first step, researchers need an accurate, sensitive, and reliable method of measuring individual metallic particles. Similarly, to design metal-containing anti-cancer drugs that target tumors, measurement of drug uptake by individual cells requires a very sensitive technique. Traditional instruments used to take such measurements (such as the one in the applicant's lab) have adequate sensitivity, but most of the particles or cells introduced to the system pass through undetected. This provides an incomplete picture of the situation. Even state-of-the-art instruments cannot analyze all the particles and cells because the sample introduction system (which is the Achilles' heel of this type of instrument) wastes over 90% of the sample. For over 37 years, the applicant has been involved in this field of research and is a leading expert worldwide. Her group has conducted numerous fundamental studies on the sample introduction system and knows how to remedy the situation. No one else in Canada has more in-depth knowledge and experience with this type of instrument. The applicant's laboratory is the only one in the world to use infrared heating of the sample introduction system to eliminate sample waste. This novel approach, when combined with a newer technology, has the potential to ensure that all particles or cells are measured, and no samples are wasted. In essence, a complete picture of the environmental or biological situation would be realized, and from there crucial discoveries can be made. For example, sample introduction systems could be optimized for the analysis of particles and of cells, which will revolutionize how these measurements are currently carried out around the world. The improved instrument with infrared heating of the sample introduction system would also have the potential to measure how metal content influences individual enzymatic activities, which will lead to a better understanding of how bacteria can degrade pollutants and biosynthesize drug--like molecules. Finally, the improved instrument would inform the field of cancer drug discovery via the creation of new copper- and nickel--based anti--cancer medications. These agents would greatly benefit patients' access to more affordable (hence equitable) and safer medication than the current platinum-based medications. The applicant and co-applicants are committed to the training of graduate students in this rapidly growing field and would ensure that all commercialization aspects remain housed at a Canadian company.