Director:
Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Contact Information:
Name: Alicja Bielawska
Phone: 843-792-0273
E-Mail: bielawsk@Musc.edu
Location: Basic Science Building 535
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 Synthetic sub-Core provides the synthesis of the following lipids: stereoisomers of modified sphingoid bases, Cers, their phosphates and analogs with a diversified structural features, compounds that modulate endogenous SPLs: organelle-targeting SPls and organelle-targeting inhibitors or activators of SPL metabolizing enzymes and advanced molecular probes: functionalized Cers, fluorescent Cers and site-specific radiolabeled SPLs and precursors for their preparation. Additionally, synthetic sub-core provides analytical standards for the Analytical sub-Core. Moreover, the Synthetic sub-Core provides a specialized custom synthesis on “as needed” bases.
