World-first facility opens in Sydney

The world’s first elemental bio-imaging facility has officially opened at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), focused on developing a novel imaging technique that accurately maps deposits of elements (such as trace metals) in biological tissues.

Although the toxic effects of large doses of metal are well known, little is known about trace amounts and their influence on health. This new field of study, known as ‘metallomics’, is beginning to generate a great deal of interest in the scientific community, with metallomic principles used to investigate neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“This technique can probe the mechanism, progression and treatment of many diseases, such as osteoarthritis, and also detect the spread of cancer, such as melanoma in lymph nodes,” said Dr Phillip Doble, senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Forensic Science, UTS Faculty of Science.

Developed under collaboration with Agilent Technologies, the technique uses Agilent’s 7500 ICP-MS (laser-based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer) to allow scientists to study with unprecedented clarity the interaction of metals with proteins in the body.

“This machine generates completely new data sets that no one has ever seen before,” said Dr Rudolph Grimm, Agilent’s US marketing division manager for proteomics and metabolomics.

“It’s a technique similar to MALDI, except MALDI cannot detect metal ions.”

Using technology originally designed to analyse the elemental content of rocks, the system requires minimal sample preparation and provides a clear visual picture of the presence of the trace elements in question. It can be used to scan for many elements at once, providing a clear picture of the dispersion pattern for each.

“The official opening of the facility marks a key milestone toward continued research to help address critical diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and cancer,” said Rod Minett, country operations manager of Agilent Technologies Australia.

According to Doble, the technique has clinical applications such as helping determine disease progression or the efficacy of drugs.

“It could also potentially be used to analyse biopsy material and biofluid, as well as for heart analysis,” he said.

While the system currently only provides a 2D image of the metal dispersion in the tissue sample, Doble hopes to be producing 3D images within six months.

The university is currently looking for interested parties to become involved in developing the facility's research.

“The facility is a crucial step forward in cultivating new research opportunities and discoveries, and to promote innovative partnerships in the study of neurological diseases and deficiencies,” said Doble.