The National University Complex for Biomedical and Translational Research (NUCBTR) is a strategic network of infrastructures for fundamental and translational biomedical research and includes partners from two of the largest medical universities in Bulgaria, the Medical University of Sofia and the Medical University of Plovdiv, as well as a number of hospital and research centers. At the core of the University Complex is the unification of the largest biobanks for the storage of biological material and clinical data in the country.
NUCBTR links existing resources, achieving a critical mass of expertise and technological opportunities, creating conditions for developing research in the field of molecular medicine, genetics and epidemiology in Bulgaria in the post-genomic era. The purpose of creating and developing the University Complex is to accelerate the transition between fundamental research and clinical practice in order to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the most important diseases for society.
Based on the international expert assessment, NUCBTR has been assessed as one of 4 infrastructure complexes, which are nationally significant infrastructures and have the potential to participate in pan-European research infrastructures. MMC and NUCBTR are included in the National roadmap of the scientific infrastructure in Bulgaria from its creation in 2010.
Molecular Medicine Center
The Metabolomic Core of MMC is set up in the section “Analysis of bioactive compounds” at Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, MU-Sofia. It allows application of integrated functional genomics and metabolomics approaches for the study of cancer; model systems of normal and cancer cell lines; investigation of the molecular events in cells and tissues in cancer and/or apoptosis; profiling and analysis of biological fluids – plasma, urine of patients with well-characterized disease presentation aiming at new biomarker detection for diagnostics and therapy.
Equipment:
Two HPLC systems
Thermo LC/MS hybrid system, Single quadropole GC/MS with EI ionization
Thermo Scientific Q Exactive hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer
Ultra Performance Chromatography System
General laboratory equipment
The utilisation of metabolomic techniques in research requires modern system for mass spectrometry with high resolution; mass accuracy and sensitivity in the range for peptides and metabolites, that will allow integrated functional genomics and metabolomics approach for the study of cancer; model systems of normal and cancer cell lines; investigation of the molecular events in cells and tissues in cancer and/or apoptosis; profiling and analysis of biological fluids – plasma, urine of patients with well-characterized disease presentation aiming at new biomarker detection, useful for diagnosis and therapy; investigation of possible relationships between known genomic disorders and metabolomic profiles; investigation of nutrition in relation to metabolism in disease and health.
LTQ Orbitrap Discovery (Thermo Electron Corporation Germany) LTQ Orbitrap Discovery is a hybrid system consisting of two subsequently linked mass analysers - Linear ion trap and Orbitrap. The system is equipped with two sources for introduction and ionization of the probes – electrospray (EI) and chemical ionization at atmospheric pressure (APCI). For preliminary separation of the probes by chromatography a capillary system for HPLC Surveyor is connected to the apparatus Intelligent Data Dependent instrument control provides the flexibility to help solve the toughest analytical challenges. Software for both data acquisition and data evaluation in metabolite identification and proteome research converts into ready-to-use information.
Capillary system for high performance chromatography (HPLC) model Surveyor (Thermo Electron) for preliminary chromatographic separation of samples
Q Exactive hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific) combines high-performance quadrupole precursor selection with high-resolution, accurate-mass (HR/AM) Orbitrap™ detection. The superior quality of Q Exactive™ MS/MS data provides ultimate confidence for a wide range of qualitative and quantitative applications. Its high scan speed and spectral multiplexing capabilities make it fully compatible with UHPLC and fast chromatography techniques, ramping productivity to a new level. The Q Exactive instrument can easily handle routine applications in proteomics from bottom-up protein ID to semi-quantitative isotopic labelling analyses to targeted quantification experiments
TurboFlow Nanoflow
(UPLC) UltiMate 3000 (Dionex).