Metabolomics Shared Resource

Baylor College Of Medicine, Houston TX

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: METABOLOMICS SHARED RESOURCE (MSR) The Metabolomics Shared Resource (MSR) provides advanced mass spectrometry (MS) approaches and technologies and expert data analytics for high-quality global and targeted metabolomics for support of cancer research studies. The MSR specializes in the discovery, identification, characterization, and quantification of small molecular weight metabolites and other biomolecules from a variety of specimens including tissues, cell lines, and body fluids, as well as metabolic flux analysis to trace metabolic pathways in real time. The main goals of the MSR are: to provide high-quality cost-effective services and innovative technologies to identify cancer-associated metabolic signatures; decode metabolic pathway dynamics in vitro and in vivo through precision metabolic flux isotopomer tracing; and advance clinical translational studies based on cancer-associated metabolic signatures. The MSR has a dedicated team of experts in MS-based metabolomics with extensive experience in unbiased and targeted metabolomics as well as metabolic flux and data analysis using computational machine learning approaches to identify metabolic signatures in various cancer models. Over the past four years the MSR has supported a total of 65 DLDCCC members across all scientific programs and has contributed to a total of 76 publications with 67% of these as cancer-related studies. The main infrastructure of the MSR consists of high-end MS systems including an Orbitrap IQX Tribrid (NIH S10 grant) for unbiased metabolomic profiling using intelligent data-dependent acquisition, a SCIEX Triple TOF mass spectrometer for unbiased lipidomics with data-independent acquisition, and two Agilent 6495 Triple Quadrupole MS for targeted metabolomics, metabolic flux, quantification of metabolites and lipids coupled with Biocrates technology. Over the next CCSG cycle, we plan to develop and implement services in emerging metabolomic platforms such as single-cell and spatial metabolomics, and quantification and analysis of metabolic alterations in organelles. Toward this end, we will use state-of-the-art mass spectrometry instruments combined with various front-end sources. In addition, we will extend our capacity and assays for stable isotope tracing of metabolic pathway flux in vivo and develop higher throughput global unbiased profiling assays to support research in cancer biology.