The Untargeted Research Resources (URR) of the NEALE will provide advanced untargeted analytical chemical profiling to support the children?s health research community for environmental factors related to health and disease. The URR will use high-resolution metabolomics (HRM) capabilities developed at Emory and currently in use to support exposome research. HRM uses ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry with rigorous standard operating procedures, dual chromatography and analysis with 5 technical replicates to support routine measurement of >10,000 chemicals in biological samples. This includes metabolites from most human metabolic pathways, host microbiome, infectious agents and dietary, environmental and behavioral exposures. The methods have been applied to many biologic materials, including plasma, urine, and other body fluids, cells, biopsies, foods and stool samples. Existing data for 15,000 human plasma samples, including interventional studies and more than 20 disease states, provide secure reference data to address common and uncommon chemical variations expected to occur in the early life exposome. Objective 1. The URR will provide untargeted HRM to support the children?s health research community. Samples will be extracted and analyzed by dual chromatography (HILIC, positive ESI; C18 negative ESI) HRM. Objective 2. In conjunction with children?s health research users and biostatistical resources core, biostatistics and bioinformatics analyses will be performed to obtain metabolome-wide association study (MWAS) of defined exposure, phenotypic variable or other characteristic of specific interest. Objective 3. Provide global bioeffect monitoring through pathway enrichment analyses from untargeted HRM. Objective 4. Confirmation of chemical identities and quantification will be provided for unidentified chemicals of highest priority. Objective 5. Further method development to enhance quantitative measurement of low abundance environmental chemicals, including advanced methods to improve coverage of chemical space, measurement of chemical congeners, and standardization of the chemical exposome. The URR will provide high quality, extensive coverage of environmental chemicals and metabolic responses in reliable forms for future data-mining and exposome research. In combination with the other resources of NEALE, this support structure will provide an important facility to advance the research initiatives of the children?s health research community.
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