Director:
Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manager and Lead Scientist:
Research Assistant Professor
Contact Information:
Name: Alicja Bielawska
Phone: 843-792-0273
Location: Basic Science Building 535
Description:
The Lipidomics Shared Resource 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 Lipid Synthesis Unit provides synthetic sphingolipids and analogs. Services include:
· Total synthesis of natural sphingolipids (4 isomers for each sphingolipid) from the chiral precursors
· Design and synthesis of various inhibitors of sphingolipid metabolizing enzymes
· Design and synthesis of organelle-targeted Cers and inhibitors of sphingolipid metabolizing enzymes
· Design and synthesis of molecular tools for metabolic studies: radiolabeled, fluorescent and 17C sphingolipids (containing an unnatural 17C-sphingoid backbone)
· Design and synthesis of molecular tools for determination of enzymatic activities
- Radiolabeled sphingolipids and analogs
- Fluorescent sphingolipids and analogs
-17C sphingolipids
Equipment:
- Fully equipped laboratory
- Contains two chemical fume hoods for organic synthesis work
- Radioactive synthesis is set up in a separate room (747B) with a special hood dedicated to the radiosynthetic work
- Bioscan TLC plate reader
- Beckman Coulter LS 6500 multi-purpose scintillation counter.
