CHEMICAL ANALYSIS FACILITY CORE Accurate and sensitive qualitative and quantitative determination of toxicants forms a core element of CEED?s mission. The Chemical Analysis Facility Core (CAF) maintains state-of-the-art measurement capabilities to identify and quantify levels of chemicals in the total environment; characterizing potential internal dose (from environmental matrices), metabolites and biologically effective doses in target tissues. The goal of this Facility Core is to provide Center investigators assistance in experimental design, sample preparation, assay development, training, and access to technologies. These analysis tools are necessary for accurate assessment of chemical exposures for targeted metabolite analyses (biological response indicators) that can be linked to mechanisms of pathogenesis. Analysis of toxicants and their metabolites in a variety of biological and environmental matrices (e.g., blood, urine, sputum, cellular extracts, water, soil, dust) is performed within the CAF using mass spectrometrically-based techniques. The CAF also generates detailed mechanistic and metabolomic information on toxicants and chemo preventive or therapeutic agents and supports rapid response initiatives and new sensor development. The CAF uses inductively- coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) for the bulk of its elemental analysis, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for semi-volatile and volatile molecular analytes, and high/ultra-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) for nonvolatile and polar chemical analysis. Through University funding (see Facilities and Resources section) the CAF continues to expand its capacities in metabolomics for discovery of biomarkers that bridge exposure to resultant biological responses and, ultimately, disease pathogenesis.
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