Isolation, identification, and quantitation of biologically active compounds from complex plant matrices is a challenging and time-consuming task for plant scientists. Advances in this field have generally been related to advances in analytical chemistry techniques. One major recent development is the emergence of metabolomics, which can be considered as the comprehensive analysis of metabolites in given organisms in different physiological states.

The Chemical Analytical Service (CAS) provides the equipment and the competence for the identification and quantitation of known and unknown low molecular weight substances (<1500 Da) such as secondary metabolites (flavonoids, alkaloids, glucosinolates, fatty acids, glycerolipids etc.), plant hormones (lipid-derived signalling molecules etc.), or primary metabolites (sugars etc.).  Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques followed by data treatment tools are used for metabolome analysis and comparison of different samples. The CAS functions as a project-based service: the scientists running the platform will develop optimised methods for specific applications and provide advices and assistance for interpretation of the obtained data.

For information on the price of analyses please contact gaetan.glauser@unine.ch.

For additional information on the three technology platforms of the SPSW, click on the link below: