Metabolomics session 4: Chromatographic solutions

Reaching further in your metabolomics study with IC, GC and LC-MS analysis.

The comprehensive analysis of small endogenous and exogenous molecules in a biological system results in a better understanding of metabolomic processes. The characterization of metabolic phenotypes enables biomarker discovery, disease taxonomy, and tracking treatment effects.

The metabolomic challenge includes a large number of compounds with diverse physicochemical properties. This leads to new analytical challenges when a more comprehensive coverage of the metabolic landscape is needed.

High-resolution accurate mass measurement (HRAM) mass spectrometry (MS) is an essential tool in metabolome analysis. Thermo Scientific Orbitrap-based mass spectrometers provide a leading combination of sensitivity, mass accuracy, and resolving power that helps answer the most challenging analytical tasks.

MS, however, suffers from disadvantages such as ion suppression and the differentiation of isomers. The combination of MS with separation techniques addresses such issues. Different chromatographic approaches can be used and fine-tuned to a specific set of metabolites, including polar and ionic compounds, glycans, volatile compounds, and steroids. The comprehensive analysis of the metabolome, however, requires a combination of this method.

We will present three topics:

• The untargeted screening workflow for identification and comparison of different wine origin using the GC Orbitrap technology and Compound discoverer,
• The combination of Ion Chromatography (IC) with HRAM to determine polar and ionic components,
• A HPLC-Orbitrap example study to showing the changes observed in mice plasma composition depending on the diet type.

All experimental data were processed with the Thermo Scientific Compound Discoverer software, to comprehensively profile the samples, detect more compounds, and identify unknowns.

We will introduce our newest member of the LC-MS family, the Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris mass spectrometer.

What you will learn:

• MS instrumentation designed for exceptional usability resulting in increased productivity in metabolomics
• Benefits of high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry (HRAM) in unknown analysis and research
• Analytical solutions for sample profiling
• Examples of complete IC-MS, GC-MS, and LC-MS workflows for unknown identification using Orbitrap technology and Compound Discoverer software

Presenter: Anas Kamleh (Expert Sales Support, Metabolomics, Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Anas joined Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2015 as an application specialist in metabolomics. He is driving a new role since 2018 that entitles supervising collaboration projects and ensuring our hardware and software products provide the best experience for Orbitrap metabolomics users. His industrial and academic background extend to close to 15 years of experience in the field of metabolomics spanning a PhD thesis from University of Strathclyde, Scotland and postdoctoral research positions at Imperial College London and Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.

Presenter: Racha Mailler (Sales Support Specialist GCMS/MS, EFS-Industrial, Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Racha joined Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2016 as Technical support specialist for GC and GC/MS. She is driving a new role since 2018 as an application specialist for GC, GCMS and Orbitrap technologies. Her role has expand to cover EMEA zone. Her everyday job is to help our GCMS users getting the best out of their instrument by training them on the software and advising them with the method development. Racha holds a PhD degree in Analytical chemistry from the university of Lille 1.

Presenter: Detlef Jensen (Sr. Expert, SST, EFS-Industrial, Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Detlef holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Technical University Berlin/Germany. For more than 30 years, he covered many positions at Dionex, now Thermo Fisher Scientific in ion chromatography. Since March 2013, he has been supporting our users and field teams all over Europe in his role as European Ion Chromatography Expert.