Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Gas chromatography (GC) is the industry-standard method for measuring fatty acids and other lipids in biological samples. Because fatty acids and lipids are involved in many cellular processes in all living things, proper understanding of these processes requires accurate measurements from experimental samples. GC is the most accurate and cost-effective way of performing these analytical measurements.******We are requesting funding for a major upgrade to our comprehensive, multi-lab GC program. This includes (1) an Agilent 8890 GC System, (2) an Agilent 7693 autosampler, and (3) a Thermo TriPlus 100LS autosampler. These autosamplers will be replacements installed on existing GCs. The Lipidomics Core Facility is highly subsidized by the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, the Women and Children's Health Research Institute, and the University of Alberta, and provides affordable lipid analytical services to university researchers across faculties. The requested funding will provide strong support to this initiative, benefitting not only the 3 applicants, but also many other investigators who study lipids. ******The collaborative nature of the applicants' shared GC infrastructure is a unique and highly-functional arrangement that benefits all parties who are directly and indirectly involved. Doubling the throughput of fatty acid analysis in the lab of Dr. Field with this dual-channel GC will lead to improvements in quality and shorter wait times for Core Facility users including Drs. Lehner and Proctor. This in-turn will allow the Facility to further develop and expand the analytical methodology offered. The new 8890 GC will be used by trainees and HQP 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the lab of Dr. Field, and the repaired GCs will be used daily by researchers from across the University. ******More broadly, gas chromatography is an important and heavily-used technique in academia, government, and industry. In addition to their use in measuring lipids and other basic research applications, GCs are widely used for research and development in the petroleum, alternative energy, foods and flavours, cosmetics, healthcare, pharmaceutical, and environmental industries. Trainees who learn to operate and analyze data from GC instruments gain skills that are incredibly valuable for their future careers. The in-depth knowledge gained by using GCs in a research setting is invaluable in producing highly-qualified personnel (HQP) who progress into productive careers in academia, government, industry, and more.*****