?Metabolomics? largely consists of metabolic profiling, which is the process of identification and quantification of a large number of metabolites of many different biochemical classes, from diverse biological samples, including cells, culture media, tissue and biofluids. However, to understand the metabolic underpinning of diseases such as cancer, a biochemical mechanism is needed, in which case it is necessary to introduce appropriate stable isotope tracers, which while increasing the number of analytes to be quantified, also greatly increase the retrieval of biologically relevant information. This Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics (SIRM) approach is a unique specialty of the Metabolism Core. The goals of the Core are to provide services for a wide coverage of metabolites with isotopomer and isotopologue analysis. To achieve this, we make use of two major analytical platforms, namely high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and ultra-high resolution Fourier-transform mass spectrometry (UHR-FTMS), with or without chromatography. The Core personnel will advise on analytical methods and experimental design and additional techniques may be developed to address issues of identification and quantification. Because experimental design and sample preparation are integral to the data acquisition and interpretation, the Core provides expertise in these and informatics relevant to the SIRM approach. These goals will be achieved according to the following:
Specific Aim 1. To provide access and expertise across a wide range of NMR and MS technologies to investigators.
Specific Aim 2. To provide experimental design, sample processing, and informatics support to the investigators for data reduction, metabolic pathway, and biochemical mechanism analyses.
Specific Aim 3. To develop and implement new methods to enhance metabolic capabilities relevant to the COBRE Projects. This Core will support the young investigators by providing advanced analytical technologies and expertise in the metabolic requirements for cancer development.
