Research

Clinical and Animal Health Focus

The ability of chromatography and mass spectrometry technologies to detect, identify and quantify biomolecules such as proteins, peptides and metabolites has greatly advanced many areas of health research.

One of the key applications of these technologies is the detection and quantification of biomarkers. Biomarkers are specific molecules that serve as indicators of particular states within the body. They can be used to detect disease or monitor disease progression; assess general health; and to study the pharmacology of drug treatments. Biomarkers can provide a quick and reliable alternative to time-consuming pathological techniques.

Another key application is metabolome 'fingerprinting', where the entire proteome, peptidome or metabolome is measured and used to generate a 'fingerprint'. Fingerprinting analysis can be used to study the biochemical pathways involved in disease pathology and progression, allowing for the measurement of a broad range of metabolites from variety of different cellular pathways.

The Separation Science and Metabolomics Laboratory are now applying metabolomics technologies to the study of a range of diseases including Hemochromatosis, Poly-cystic Kidney Disease, Neglected Diseases, HIV/Aids and Swine Dysentery.

Prospective postgraduate students are encouraged to email metabolomics@murdoch.edu.au for new 2012-13 projects.

Environmental and Green Technologies

Environmental metabolomics focuses on the characterisation of metabolic changes in organisms in response to environmental challenges. As an enabling science, Metabolomics technologies can provide the tools for assessing chemical risks, ecological and soil health as well as investigate biotic and abiotic stressors in a variety of environmental systems.

The Separation Science and Metabolomics Laboratory is applying metabolomics technologies to a diverse range of research areas such as ecophysiology, ecotoxicology, chemical and pesticide surveillance. Our researchers are also applying metabolomics technologies to the characterisation of plant-based biofuels and the optimization of desalination processes.

Prospective postgraduate students are encouraged to email metabolomics@murdoch.edu.au for new 2012-13 projects.

Contract Research

Turnkey Package and Method Development

The Separation Science and Metabolomics Laboratory has developed a range of validated and in-house analytical methods for the detection of gas, liquid and solid samples from crude oil to pharmaceuticals preparations and biomarker identification in tissue, urine, saliva and blood; encompassing human, animal and plant samples.

Please email metabolomics@murdoch.edu.au for all your partnering and contract research needs.

Energy and Resource Research (Conventional and Sustainable)

The Separation Science and Metabolomics Laboratory are applying modern mass spectrometry techniques to the characterization of conventional and sustainable energy sources and products to help improve production, recoveries and quality.

Flow assurance research focuses on understanding the chemical nature of oil and water emulsion formation under production shear conditions and the elucidation of the components in crude oils which a) cause oil and water emulsion formation and stabilization and b) destabilize the emulsions, as early stage indicators of flow assurance challenges during production from oil fields. Identification of these components at the exploration stage facilitates the development of more sustainable treatment approaches to destabilize oil and water emulsions.

Commercial refinery production of non petroleum based fuels such as biodiesel requires the characterization of feedstock (such as seed oils, algae and other forms of biomass) to allow for the prediction of fuel quality downstream. The Separation Science and Metabolomics Laboratory is now applying GC and LC-MS to characterise the lipid composition of feedstocks under various growth conditions and environmental perturbation to improve the quality of biofuels.

Prospective postgraduate students are encouraged to email metabolomics@murdoch.edu.au for new 2012-13 Projects.