Emory Integrated Metabolomics & Lipidomics Core
Emory University
Contact: Kristal Maner-Smith, PhD
Phone: 404-727-3193
The Emory Integrated Metabolomics & Lipidomics Core (EIMLC), led by Dr. Eric Ortlund (Scientific Director) and Dr. Kristal Maner-Smith (Core Director), is located on Emory University’s campus in the Health Sciences Research Building II. The EIMLC is equipped to perform quantitative lipidomics and metabolomics analyses on samples from a wide variety of biological matrices (e.g. blood, serum, plasma, solid tissues, cell extracts, etc.) to support both clinical and basic research efforts on campus and in the broader research community. These analyses provide insights into lipids and small soluble metabolites whose abundance can be monitored as biomarkers to predict and follow progression of a wide range of diseases, such as metabolic disorders (e.g. obesity, type II diabetes, and NAFLD), neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease), and cancer (e.g. prostate and breast cancer). In addition to lipidomics and metabolomics, EILMC capabilities also include customized method development and validation for user specified molecules or drug products. The EIMLC is trained to perform Biocrates plate-based p180 and Quant500 assays.
If you use the EIMLC for your research, please acknowledge the EIMLC in your publications and include its RRID (RRID:SCR_023527).
Services
- Sample preparation via automated and robust sample handling instrument manifold (Biotage Extrahera, Uppsala Sweden). Traditional lipid extraction protocols using organic solvents, i.e. Bligh and Dyer, MtBe Method, and others performed upon request.
- High resolution, untargeted lipidomics analyses combining liquid chromatography with ion mobility high-sensitivity, high-resolution mass spectrometer. This LC-MS approach surveys lipids in the submitted sample by exact mass, collision cross section (ccs) values, and product ion spectra to produce high confidence identifications of species.
- Targeted lipidomics analyses via tandem mass spectrometry to specifically target phospholipids classes, low abundance lipid classes, and/or signaling lipids by precursor ion scanning or multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) based assays. Identified species are quantified through the use of external calibration curves or labeled internal standards. Targeted assays include:
- CoAs
- Carnitines
- Oxylipins/Endocannabinoids
- Bile Acids
- Nonesterified Fatty Acids (Short and long chain fatty acids)
- TCA metabolites
- Sterols
- Semi-quantitative untargeted and targeted metabolomics (quantitative) analyses using high resolution LC/MS to characterize lipid and soluble metabolites in submitted samples.
- Customized analysis to quantify drug/drug metabolites provided upon request.
- Consultation for experimental design for ‘omics projects, proper handling of lipid samples, and/or data interpretation.
- Data integration services are offered to produce publication quality figures of ‘omics data. This includes heat maps, volcano plots, WGCNA, etc. Integration of lipid/metabolomics datasets with clinical data.
Mass Spectrometry
Sciex QTrap 5500
Hybrid mass spectrometer with triple quadrupole and linear ion trap, capable of MSn experiments. Instrument has a mass range of m/z 5-1250 and a dynamic range of up to 6 orders of magnitude. Used for targeted lipidomics experiments.
Agilent 6495C
Advanced, high sensitivity triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with jet ion source permitting 5x more ionization than traditional sources, increasing analytical sensitivity. Mass range of m/z 5-3000 and wide dynamic range. Used for MRM based targeted lipidomics experiments.
Agilent 6546 QToF
A high resolution mass spectrometer with acquisition rates of 50 spectra/second within a m/z 20-4000 mass range. Dynamic mass resolution over 60K for high mass and 30K for low masses. Used for untargeted and targeted metabolomics workflows.
Shimadzu GC-MS TQ8040 NX
Triple quadrupole GC/MS instrument that is used for the quantification of nonpolar, non-volatile molecules. This highly sensitivity instrument is capable of high speed MRM analysis of up to 800 transitions per second.
Bruker TIMS ToF Pro
Trapped ion mobility (TIMS) LC/MS mass spectrometer that uses serial fragmentation and collisional cross section for identification of species. High resolution mass spectrometer achieves greater than 120Hz scan speeds without affecting resolution.
Thermo ID-X Tribrid
Hybrid Orbitrap mass spectrometer offering resolution up to 500,000 FWHM in mass range of m/z 50-2000. Contains a linear ion trap capable of MSn scans at 40Hz. Used for ultra high resolution untargeted, global lipidomics as well as metabolomics. This instrument is used for 4D untargeted lipidomics.
Chromatography
Sciex Exion LC U/HPLC
Front end liquid chromatography instrument with dual pumping system capable of gradients up to 3ml/min at 6600 bar (9500 PSI). Instrument contains a cooled autosampler that accommodates two 96 well plates or 105 vials. Used in combination with Sciex Qtrap5500.
1290 Infinity II HPLC
Powerful front end liquid chromatography system capable of 1300bar pressures at 5ml/min. Contains a binary pumping system and chilled autosampler. Used in tandem with Agilent 6495c.
Thermo Vanquish UPLC
High end UHPLC instrument capable of pressures up to 1500 bar at flow rates of 5ml/min. System contains a binary pump and refrigerated autosampler with excellent precision, accuracy, and short cycle times. For use with Thermo IDX hybrid mass spectrometer.
Sample Preparation
Omni BeadRuptor. Sample preparation instrument used to grind, lyse, and homogenize samples. This automated, bead mill homogenizer is able to prepare biological samples, including brain, liver, heart, skeletal muscle, adipose, as well as cell culture for lipid or metabolite extraction.
Biotage Extrahera Solid Phase Extraction Robot. This instrument is a robust and automated liquid handling instrument that performs solid phase liquid extractions in both single cassette and 96-well plate formats.
Biotage Extrahera LV-200 Solid Phase Extraction Robot. An automated sample preparation and liquid handling instrument that performs solid phase liquid extractions at low sample volumes (>5mL) in both single cassette and 96-well plate formats.
Data Integration: The EIMLC offers data integration and statistics services to aide in the integration of ‘omics datasets. This service is provided by two PhD level scientists with more than 10 years combined experience in bioinformatics methods. Using their expertise we have contributed novel findings to knowledge about the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease, vaccine evaluation, and exercise biology as a part of the Religious Orders Study or Rush Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP) consortia, Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit (VTEU), and Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC), respectively.
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