Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Ultra High-performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) is a method which allows the researcher to separate, identify and quantify the components of a biological sample with great sensitivity. It relies on the use of pressure to pass the biological sample solution through a column. This solution can interact with materials present in this column and effectively separate molecules from each other, to help identify them. At York University we have a large number of researchers in the Department of Biology, the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, and the Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC) that require the use of UPLC technology. In this application we are requesting funds to acquire only the second such equipment system on the York campus. We wish to use this to analyze amino acids, catecholamines, metabolites and peptides in biological samples such a serum, muscle, and heart primarily to support the research of MHRC members, but also our colleagues in other departments. My 5 co-applicants and I will make heavy use of this equipment, and as the Director of the MHRC, I am submitting this application also on behalf of the numerous (30) other faculty members in the 3 research units above who do cellular biochemistry research and could potentially make use of this equipment. This equipment will increase our capacity for the fundamental biochemical analyses of complex biological samples, and its acquisition markedly help to dissipate the logjam of users who currently travel to another building to use the one other functional instrument on the York University campus.