This S10 Shared Instrumentation Grant for a SCIEX ZenoTOF 7600 microflow LC-MS system
represents a significant upgrade in the capabilities of the mass spectrometer (13-year-old SCIEX
TripleTOF 5600) currently used for metabolomics and lipidomics at the University of Alabama at
Birmingham. It will aid investigators by adding the ability to perform tunable electron activation
dissociation (EAD) as well as much increased sensitivity for classical collisional activation
dissociation (CID) provided by an ion trap within the collision cell. EAD will result in enriched
product ion spectra for lipids and other metabolites. The increased sensitivity and dynamic range
will greatly assist and improve the analysis of metabolomes of all applications, in particular, to
small animal models such as the fruit fly. The instrument will support the research of 16 NIH-
funded investigator teams (8 major user teams and 8 minor user teams) who have current year
NIH direct cost funding totaling $5.85 million. Their research covers a wide range of areas
relevant to the health of Americans: these include aging, Alzheimer disease, cancer therapy and
prevention, cardiac and cardiovascular disease, cytomegaloviral infection and other infectious
diseases, lung disease, precision medicine, and psychostimulant abuse. The choice of the
instrument to pursue this research is part of an ongoing review by an Oversight Committee
consisting of two experienced investigators who are not named users, a major and a minor
named user, a Center Director (Chair of the Committee and a previous user), the Director of the
Precision Medicine Institute and a former Department Chair and the 2023 President of FASEB
(non-user); a business officer (non-voting) will provide financial advice to the committee. This
Committee will also provide overview and advice on the operation of the selected instrument,
including recommendations regarding the price structure for the use of the instrument and plans
for future funding to maintain the instrument. Training in the use of the instrument will be
conducted on a one-on-one basis with students and postdoctoral fellows of the NIH-supported
investigators by an experienced operator, Mr. Wilson. The PI, Dr. Barnes, will provide advice to
investigators on how to design projects for MS-based analysis. He will coordinate with Dr. Gaggar
regarding sample acquisition from clinical and translational models. Dr. Prasain will provide
expert advice on de novo interpretation of MSMS spectra. Training in metabolomics data will be
provided to investigators, graduate students and postdocs through existing courses and 1-day
and 1-week workshops supported by the UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science.