In collaboration with the Clinical Pharmacology Analysis Core, a Sciex 5500 Qtrap LC/MS is used to run the Biocrates Q500 targeted metabolomics panel. This assay provides quantitative measurements of more than 500 metabolites. The metabolites classes included in this assay are represented in the treemap with the number of metabolites in each class in parentheses.
In collaboration with the North Carolina State University Molecular Education, Technology and Research Innovation Center (METRIC) the Indiana Metabolomics Collaborative (IMC) collects NMR-based analyses using a Bruker 700 MHz NMR equipped with a cryogenically cooled probe. NMR provides a unique opportunity for quantitative untargeted metabolomics.
Using a dedicated Agilent 5977B Gas-chromatography mass spectrometry system, the IMC is developing targeted panels to comprehensively quantify metabolites in specific metabolic pathways of interest. Currently, there are assays for glycolysis and the TCA cycle, and analyses for the pentose phosphate, polyamine, and short-chain fatty acid pathways are in development. Please inquire about additional pathways of interest. Isotope tracer studies can be performed using stable 13C or 2H labeled substrates including glucose, glutamine, and a number of other commercially available compounds. These studies provide a unique level of detail on metabolic flux through specific pathways.
A primary tool in the IMC's initial data analysis pipeline is the VIIME program. This open-source web-based platform enables facile integration of data from multiple metabolomics platforms as well as other omics and phenotypic data. Univariate and multivariate analyses can be carried out to determine significant metabolic differences between groups. Data visualization capabilities include principal components analysis plots (as well as supervised PLS-DA and OPLS-DA), volcano plots, heatmaps, and network correlation diagrams. For biomarker studies receiver operating characteristic analysis can be conducted for sensitivity and specificity analysis. Further data analysis and visualization capabilities are under active development.
