Microbiome

The microbiome field has undergone an explosion of research over the past several years due to the development of 16sRNA sequencing, growth of bacterial and metabolite data bases and the growing interest in the health impacted interactions between the human host and the microbiota.  Correlations between bacterial families, clinical phenotype and metabolite measurements are leading to a new understanding of disease and health.  These metabolites comprise of a wide host of different molecular types from small polar acids to larger polyamines and lipids. HMT has a solution that covers a wide range of chemical families with unmatched resolution and coverage through our innovative and unique high performance capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry (CE-MS) technologies.

Microbiota transform proteins, lipids, vitamins, amino acids, sugars and fatty acids into sources of carbon and nitrogen to sustain bacterial needs for energy and biomass. However, these metabolic transformations can be both beneficial and harmful including interactions with the innate and adaptive immune system and brain metabolism. These microbiota / host interactions have been related to a host of medical ailments including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndromes.

HMT’s CE-MS Technology is the method of choice for microbiome related metabolites

• Low mass detection (under 100 Kd mass) including urea, propanoate, butyrate, valerate, ethanolamine, glyoxylate, amino acetone, 1,3-diaminopropane, 3-hydroxyproprionate
• High Separation Resolution of isobaric fatty acids and oxidative products: isobutyrate vs butyrate, isovalerate vs valerate, lactate vs 3-hydroxyproprionate, 2-hydroxybutyrate vs 2-hydroxyisobutyrate vs 3-hydroxybutyrate, 5-aminovalerate vs valine vs norvaline vs betaine
• Identification of novel metabolites using exact mass measurements, migration time prediction, and patented software tools.
• Quantitative solutions in parallel with untargeted discovery
• Wide range of sample protocols extending into all fields of bacteria related research from beauty to nutritionals.
  • Fecal solids protocol for nutrient, biomass processing
  • Fecal supernatant protocol for signaling, transported metabolites
  • Fermentation products
  • Skin (Sebum, Stratum Corneum, Tissue Biopsy)
  • Hair follicles
  • Sweat, tears, serum, plasma

• Phenotype Associated Metabolites
  • Odor, Malodor – polyamines, amino acid degradation products
  • Itching and pain – uric acid, polyols, amines
  • Hypoxia – lactic acid, glycolytic intermediates
  • Oxidative Stress – oxidized fatty acids, polyols
  • Osmotic Pressure – TMAO, betaines, cholines, amino acids
  • Inflammation – immune response – Ahr ligands, indoles, SCFAs

 

Application Examples:
Biotic Interactions Shape the Ecological Distributions of Staphylococcus Species
Host-Microbe-Drug-Nutrient Screen Identifies Bacterial Effectors of Metformin Therapy
Metabologenomics identified fecal biomarkers for bowel movement regulation by Bifidobacterium longum capsules: an RCT
Glycolate is a Novel Marker of Vitamin B2 Deficiency Involved in Gut Microbe Metabolism in Mice