Analytical Technologies Facility

National Research Council Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
What the facility does

Supports plant-based R&D using specialised analytical platforms for qualitative and quantitative analysis of biochemicals in plant tissues and fermentation media.

Areas of expertise

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.

Research services
  • 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
Sectors of application
  • Agriculture, animal science and food
  • Forestry and forest-based industries
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical 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