Mass spectrometry metabolomics imaging:
Mass Spec Imaging is an imaging technique that has entered the field of tissue-based research by providing unique advantages for analyzing tissue specimens in unprecedented detail. This exciting technique allows for high-throughput, in situ direct profiling and molecular imaging of metabolites, lipids, peptides, and xenobiotics from biological tissues with minimal sample preparation at near single-cell resolution. The power of these methods has recently been demonstrated in a variety of biological setting from the Gentry and Sun labs through high-impact publications and success grant applications. This exciting new technology will be the flagship instrument that resides at the CASBR and will be available to investigators at the College of Medicine.
Hydrogen deuterium exchange (HDX) protein dynamics imaging:
HDX is a key technique to allow molecular insights into dynamic enzymatic function and macromolecular interactions. Importantly, this is uniquely suited to understanding the basis for the function and regulation of metabolism in biological context. HDX technology available to biochemists, chemists, biologists, biophysicists, and engineers has undergone a rapid evolution in the last 5-10 years. The availability of cutting-edge HDX infrastructure directly addresses the rapid change by bringing a novel technology to address an infrastructure deficiency at the University of Florida and the greater Florida region and will be an important factor in recruiting and maintaining talented researchers. Therefore, the HDX-UPLC and SYNAPT G2-Sx system state-of-the art instrument will address multiple deficiencies in the protein structure and function research discipline and a great resource for current and future PIs at the University of Florida.
Digital multiplexed antibody-based Imaging:
Digital microscopy has revolutionized the knowledge that can be gained from relatively simple brightfield and widefield fluorescence microscopy. Slide scanning microscopes – such as the Akoya PhenoImagerHT is powerful robotic scanning microscopes that can capture high-resolution images of an entire microscope slide. CASBR investigators needing precise quantitation of slide-based analyses may utilize the PhenoImager HT slide Scanner and its associate suite of software for high resolution multiplex biomolecular imaging applications.