Range of services for quantitative and qualitative metabolic analysis of biological samples for the research community
The Analytical Facility for Bioactive Molecules (AFBM) is a unit of the Centre for the Study of Complex Childhood Diseases (CSCCD), a CFI funded state-of-the-art-research facility created by the Physiology and Experimental Medicine (PEM) department at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
The AFBM offers a range of services for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of biological samples to the greater scientific research community. Services include the analysis of drugs, metabolites, lipids, sugars, amino acids, and other small molecules by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), GC/MS, and HPLC, as well as protein/protein interactions via surface plasmon resonance. The AFBM also offers ELISA and ELISA based multiplexing assays (Luminex) for the quantitative analysis of a wide range of metabolic, endocrinological, signaling, and inflammatory biomarkers.
Operating on a Fee-For-Service format, the AFBM aims to work closely with individual researchers to ensure targeted goal oriented method development and enable comprehensive data interpretation.
Metabolic analysis, Bioanalysis, Immunoassays, Protein-protein/drug analysis
- Healthcare and social services
- Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
Specialized labs and equipment
| Specialized lab | Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Mass spectrometry | Agilent 5975C GC/MS
Thermo Fisher Scientific Delta V Plus IRMS
Triple quadrupole mass spectrometer: Agilent 1200 HPLC system and Sciex API5500 with SelexION
QTRAP mass spectrometer: Agilent 1290 UHPLC system and Sciex API5500
Sciex API API6600 TripleTOF
Sciex TOF/TOFTm 5800 system
| Analysis of small molecules, such as amino acids, fatty acids, lipids, drugs, vitamins, hormones and peptides, and a vast array of other metabolites, biomarkers and messenger molecules by LC/MS/MS, GC/MS and MALDI-TOF. Our instrument platforms and expertise allow us to develop on demand customized methods in a variety of biological matrixes, including plasma, serum, urine, tissue, cell culture, exhaled breath, etc.
Mass spectrometry imaging of metabolites, drugs and proteins
|
| Bioanalysis | Dionex Ultimate 3000 HPLC plus fluorometric detector
Electrochemical detector: Agilent 1100 HPLC with ESA Coulochem III
ProteOnXPR36 protein interaction array system | Bioanalysis of drugs, small molecules, vitamins, catecholamines, nucleoside phosphates, etc.
Surface Plasmon Resonance for protein-protein, protein-drug interactions |
| Immunoassays | Luminex xMAP 100/200
Luminex MAGPIX
SpectraMax M2 multi-mode microplate reader
PolarStar Omega microplate reader | Bioanalysis of small sample volume for multiple analytes (cytokines, metabolites, hormones, etc.)
Bioanalysis of small sample volume for single analytes (ELISAs)
Bioanalysis of small sample volume for single analytes (ELISAs), luciferase reporter gene assays, fluorescence polarization protein binding studies, enzyme kinetics, DNA, RNA and protein quantitation and viability/caspase assays |
| Protein purification | Beckman Coulter ProteomeLab PF2D protein fractionation system | Protein fractionation |