Director:
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Analytical Core Director:
Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Contact Information:
Name: Alicja Bielawaska
Phone: 843-792-0273
E-Mail: bielawsk@musc.edu
Location: 535 Basic Science Building
Description:
The Lipidomics Core Facility builds on unique expertise at MUSC in sphingolipid biology, chemistry and analysis and their role in signal transduction and cell regulation. Sphingolipid metabolism assumes a key role in the complex mechanisms regulating cellular stress responses to environmental changes. Several sphingolipid metabolites act as bioactive molecules, and their individual contribution to the regulatory pathways that govern cell growth are being established.
This offers promises for new molecular insights into tumor growth and metastasis and emphasizes the needs to analyze sphingolipid components, examine sphingolipid chemistry and regulation of sphingolipid metabolic pathways. Monitoring changes in sphingolipid composition in normal and cancer environments will provide one of the missing links in the search for a novel and effective therapy.
Services:
The Analytical Core provides qualitative (compound identification) and quantitative LC-MS analysis of the key lipids from different biological materials (cells, tissues, serum, blood) determining their basal levels and changes in response to the exogenous agents.
Analyses provided:
- Sphingoid bases (sphingosine, sphinganine, phytosphingosine)
- Spingoid base phosphates
- Ceramide, dihydroceramide, OH ceramide, and phytoceramide molecular species
- Ceramide phosphate molecular species
- Sphingomyelin molecular species
- Glucosyl/ galactosyl ceremide and lactosyceramide molecular species
Equipment:
-ThermoFinnigan TSQ 7000™ triple-stage quadrupole mass spectrometer with outstanding sensitivity for improved detection limits.
-ThermoFinnigan LCQDUO ion trap mass spectrometer with unsurpassed sensitivity.
-SCIEX Q-Trap, triple quadrupole/ion trap combination instrument with outstanding sensitivity for improved detection limit.
These instruments use dual ionization mode: electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI).
