Metabolomics Developing Core Facility

• Metabolites Profiling - Comprehensive Hydrophilic Panel - Sample Run
  Use LCMS to analyze sample extractions for a broad spectrum of water soluble metabolites (measure 150 plus common metabolites including amino acids, nucleotides and nucleobase/nucleosides species, TCA cycle, glycolysis, pyridine and cofactor metabolites, TCA cycle metabolites,  2-HG, a-KG, pentose phosphate pathway, etc.), 30-40 minute LC-MS/MS run, raw data will be provided.  Charged by per injection.
• Metablites Profiling - Targeted Species - Sample Run
  Use LCMS to analyze sample extractions for special water solubale metabolites on a particular pathway, 30-40 minute LC-MS/MS run, raw data will be provided. Charged by per injection.
• Metablites Profiling – Fluxomics - Sample Run
  Use stable isotopes, such as 13C, 15N, 2H to study metabolic flux in different pathways simultaneously, 40 minute LC-MS/MS run, raw data will be provided. Charged by per injection.
• Metabolites Quantification - Sample Run
  Use LCMS to quantify metabolites targets from sample extractions, 30-40 minute LC-MS/MS run, raw data will be provided. Charged by per injection.
• Method Development
  Develop new assay per customer request. Charged by time (per hour).
• Sample Preparation
  Process samples for LCMS injection. Charged by time (per hour).
• Data analysis
  Use sofeware to analyze LCMS data to acuire peak area of metabolites, then generate report. Charged by time (per hour).
• Consulting
  Add-on charge for consultation effort above and beyond what is included in services 1-7. Charged by time (per hour).

• UPLC-MS (high accuracy and high definition): Thermo Ultimate-3000 + Q-exactive
• Speed-Vac

Sample Submission

1. Please contact core to discuss project about targets, sample preparation and analysis.
2. Once ready to submit samples, please go to https://nucore.northwestern.edu/facilities/Metabo, follow the instruction to generate a request.
3. Fill out a Sample Submission Form  with detail request and study proposal categorized above.
4. Provide the Order Receipt (or the NUCORE Order Number) and the Sample Submission Form to the core staff when the samples are delivered to the Core.  Please note that samples will NOT enter the queue unless a NUCORE Order Receipt / Order Number, Sample Submission Form and starting material amount (detailed in the following “More Information”) are all provided at the time of delivery. 

More Information

• The amount of starting material is important for LCMS samples because of 1) keeping the instrument from contamination due to overloading, 2) minimizing the signal variation introduced by the changing amount of content inside each injection (the signal intensity of MS and targets amount does not always have a linear correlation).
• If protein amount (ug) is unavailable, cell number or accurate tissue mass may be also accepted for sample prep normalization.
• It is recommended for the customer to have standard compounds available if certain metabolites are the target-of-interest.
• Under normal circumstances, leftover samples (if there is any) will be kept in -20°C freezer for half a year, and the raw data will be kept for 2 years.
• Target list
• Approved price list (please contact core)

Work performed in Metabolomics Core Facility should be acknowledged as following:

Metabolomics services were performed by the Metabolomics Core Facility at Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.