DATE: June 14, 2017
TIME: 6:00am PT, 9:00am ET, 3:00pm CET

Comprehensive metabolite profiling (i.e., metabolomics) offers a holistic approach for understanding the phenotype of an organism on a molecular level that is closely associated with clinical research outcomes. However, low sample throughput and complicated data processing remain major bottlenecks to biomarker discovery in clinical-based metabolomics research. An introduction to multisegment injection-capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (MSI-CE-MS) will first be presented as a multiplexed separation platform that takes advantage of customized serial injections to enhance sample throughput and data fidelity with quality assurance. Various sample injection formats can be designed to encode MS information temporally when using signal pattern recognition for unambiguous biomarker identification when analyzing volume-restricted biological samples, including dried blood spot extracts and sweat specimens. Structural elucidation of unknown metabolites can be deduced with greater confidence when using high resolution tandem MS experiments in conjunction with CE-based mobility theory.  Recent progress towards characterization of the sweat metabolome of screen-positive cystic fibrosis infants, as well as identification of new markers of CF in asymptomatic neonates will be discussed in support of universal newborn screening programs. MSI-CE-MS offers a cost-effective approach for greatly expanding the productivity of MS-based chemical analyses while offering an accelerating data workflow for biomarker discovery in metabolomics.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Learning Objectives:

• What is metabolomics?: Non-targeted metabolite profiling for discovery-based research in clinical medicine
• What is in human sweat?: Using CE-MS-based metabolomics for comprehensive characterization of volume-restricted biospecimens
• Beyond sweat chloride: How can sweat biomarkers improve diagnostic testing and/or treatment monitoring of cystic fibrosis patients?