mVision™ IS METABOLON'S FULL-FEATURED SERVICE OFFERING, PROVIDING UNPARALLELED INSIGHT INTO THE BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STATE OF THE ORGANISM.
OUR PROCESS
Client Samples - Consultation with one of Metabolon's biochemists (represented in Europe by STAB VIDA) helps set the study's protocol and determine the appropriate sample sizes. Samples are collected by the client and received at Metabolon.
Global Analysis - The samples proceed through a multi-step process including analysis using three different platforms:
LC-MS/MS(+ESI) LC-MS/MS(-ESI) GC-MS
Identification - Each detected biochemical is automatically compared to a reference standard in our database, using retention index and mass spectrum. The result is a broad range of biochemicals identified including amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and cofactors.
Quantitation - Once biochemicals have been identified, the project manager analyzes the data to check for quality and then applies statistical analysis to determine which biochemicals show significant changes.
Interpretation - With hundreds of changing biochemicals in each experiment, the project manager organizes the biochemicals by biochemical pathways and interprets the changes within the context of the existing literature and the experimental design.
RESULTS
mVision provides information on a broad range of biochemicals and how they change in response to experimental variables. The information is delivered to the client in a variety of ways, at a number of different levels to provide a complete picture of the biochemical effects.
FULL BIOCHEMICAL PLOTS
For each sample, the identified biochemicals are displayed on a z-plot, providing a high-level view of how biochemicals change during the experiment. An example of z-plots is shown below for a time course study, analyzing both urine and plasma. Each dot represents a different biochemical, the red dots representing the experimental sample, and the blue dots representing the control sample. Displacement along the horizontal axis represents the extent of change, in terms of standard deviation, from the control sample.
AFFECTED BIOCHEMICALS
The next level of analysis involves applying statistics to determine the significant biochemical changes. These heat maps allow a quick identification of biochemicals which increase or decrease relative to control. This pathway-centric statistical analysis of affected biochemicals allows the rapid identification of areas for further investigation.
BIOCHEMICAL INTERPRETATION
Drilling further into the data, the significantly altered biochemicals are put into the context of biochemical pathways. This allows detailed biochemical-by-biochemical analysis within specific pathways. The example below shows the effect of a drug on biochemicals on the citric acid cycle.
