MAP/UK Partner site: Aberystwyth UNIVERSITY

High Resolution Metabolomics Laboratory (HRML)

The High Resolution Metabolomics Laboratory (HRML) in Aberystwyth is led by Professor John Draper and Dr Manfred Beckmann. Metabolomics research centres on the identification and quantification of metabolites from a wide range of biological matrices. A long term core activity has focused on the development of a dietary exposure biomarker strategy utilising human urine (Dr Tom Wilson) in collaboration with the Well-being and Health Assessment Research Unit (WARU: Dr Amanda Lloyd).

Experienced support staff operate five LC-MS instruments, including three ultra-high resolution Orbitraps, a Triple Quadruple and a linear ion-trap, as well as GC-tof-MS. The HRML has dedicated high performance computation facilities for the bespoke processing and analysis of metabolomics data, and for the development and maintenance of open source tools for the wider metabolomics community (Dr Jasen Finch).

The HRML supports metabolomics collaborations utilising a wide range of sample types to investigate ‘functional’ aspects of food constituents (foods & ingredients, blood, urine), tree health (living tissues of trunk & microbiome), parasites (solid tissues and blood),  pulmonary diseases (sputum & saliva) and bovine TB (bloods).