Supports plant-based R&D using specialised analytical platforms for qualitative and quantitative analysis of biochemicals in plant tissues and fermentation media.
The Analytical Technologies Facility provides infrastructure and research expertise at all levels of analytical steps, from experimental design and sample preparation to data collection, processing and data interpretation, delivering scientific information to identify, quantify, screen and profile small molecules and macromolecules in a variety of plant and fungal matrices as well as fermentation media. The facility offers a unique platform for comprehensive quantitative analysis of phytohormones. It provides advanced analytical techniques for determining seed oil quantity and acyl composition, as well as the biochemical and molecular characterization of genetic and environmental traits influencing oil quality and composition. Qualitative and quantitative proteomics capabilities to support pre-breeding and food processing development work are available. The facility also offers routine testing for antinutritional compounds in food and feed ingredients. Our clients often use our expertise in conjunction with other National Research Council research platforms such as plant growth, DNA services, cell technology and bioinformatics.
- Phytohormone analysis
- Biochemical characterization and antinutritional content
- Targeted developmental pathways to improve crop performance/yield, grain/seed meal quality
- Profiling plant seed storage proteins
- Abiotic stress resilience
- Profiling metabolites in plant-pathogen interactions during infection of crops
- Creating value from plant-based oleo-chemical feedstocks using microbial platforms
- Profiling seed fatty acid composition and oil content
- Genetic improvement of bioactive phytoestrogens in pulses through quantitative selection
- Agriculture, animal science and food
- Forestry and forest-based industries
- Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
Specialized labs and equipment
| Specialized Lab | Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|
| General analytical equipment | Related to weighing, extraction, purification and concentration of phytochemicals, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, etc. | |
| Plant hormone profiling suite | Waters Micromass Quattro Premier™ XE MS/MS with Waters ACQUITY UPLC equipped with a sample manager | Triple linear quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer LC/MS/MS with ultra-performance liquid chromatograph (UPLC) system |
| Plant hormone profiling suite | Dionex ICS-6000 system | High performance ion chromatograph |
| Plant hormone profiling suite | Agilent 1100 Series HPLC with fraction collector | High-performance liquid chromatograph |
| Plant hormone profiling suite | Agilent 1200 Series HPLC with fraction collector | High-performance liquid chromatograph |
| Mass spectrometry suite | AB SCIEX 4800 MALDI TOF/TOF MS, Proteomics Discovery system | Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization and tandem time of flight mass spectrometry |
| Mass spectrometry suite | BioRad Micromass ProteomeWorks Spot Cutter (for 2D Large Format) | Location, excision and loading of protein spots into MTP after 2D electrophoresis gels |
| Mass spectrometry suite | Waters Micromass Preparative LC/MS system with MassPREP Automated Protein Digest module | Automated protein reduction, alkylation and in-gel digestion in microtiter plates |
| Mass spectrometry suite | Applied Biosystems VISION Workstation | Robotic sample handling system for separation of biological molecules |
| Mass spectrometry suite | Thermo Fisher Q Exactive MS with Vanquish Flex UHPLC | High-resolution benchtop quadrupole Orbitrap LC-MS |
| Mass spectrometry suite | Waters ZQ LC/MS S | Single quadrupole analytical LCMS System |
| Common labs | SCIEX P/ACE MDQ Plus Capillary Electrophoresis system with UV detector | Automated fast separations from complex samples |
| Common labs | Agilent 1200 series HPLC | High-performance liquid chromatograph |
| Common labs | Agilent 1100 preparative scale HPLC with fraction collector | High-performance liquid chromatograph |
| Common labs | Agilent 6890 GC System | Gas chromatograph with FID detector |
| Common labs | Agilent 7890 GC System | Gas chromatograph with FID detector |
| Common labs | Agilent 6890 equipped with a PAL3 autosampler for headspace analysis | Gas chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometer |
| Common labs | Agilent 7890 GC-MC System | Gas chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometer |
| Common labs | Oxford Benchtop NMR MARAN ULTRA 23 | Benchtop nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) instrument |