Analytical Technology Development
The mission of the Analytical Technology Development node is to create novel analytical measurement approaches for biological systems. In the last decade, extraordinary advances in technologies have driven a new era in the analysis of complex systems. This node has two primary aims:
- to integrate technologies as platforms of experimental measurement and knowledge assembly so that scientific questions can be rapidly addressed
- to develop future generations of discovery tools for the biological sciences
Examples of technologies that extend analysis for creation of new knowledge include many of the hybrid methods now associated with the developing fields of proteomics and metabonomics, such as chromatographic separations and mass spectrometry techniques, chip based arrays (both arrays and microfluidic approaches), as well as new theory and software associated with data interpretation. Examples of new discovery tools would includ enew ionization approaches, methods for greater selectivity or enhanced sensitivity, as well as breakthrough strategies for characterizing biological structure.
ATD Focus Areas
- Creation of an Analytical METAMap. A significant limitation of modern approaches for high-throughput and high-coverage
analysis of a system's biology is the lack of a standard platform for analysis. Such a platform would allow information that
is in common from experiment to experiment (or organism to organism) to be used as a means of assigning specific features or
understanding variation. In this focus, we invite proposals that aim to develop standardized Analytical platforms that can
be translated across multiple groups and centers. The proposed approaches should be related to existing techniques in that
they contain some redundant and/or complementary information for analyzing complex mixtures of small molecules or proteins.
Platforms, instrumentation, and methods should be translatable into a center facility that will collaborate closely with
the Proteomics Research and Development Center. A requirement of these platform methods and instruments is that they be
accessible for proof of principle analyses of several defined projects during year 1 of the METACyt initiative.
- Knowledge Assembly. We seek proposals that aim to develop new methods for interpreting complex proteomics and metabolomics
datasets. Specifically, while there is a high rate of data generation (information), there is a relatively low rate of
knowledge acquisition. Proposals may focus on assembly or interpretation of the METAMap in order to elucidate knowledge
about specific pathways. Proposals may focus on how to couple information from different measurements or how to better interpret
information from a single measurement (or some combination of both). It is generally assumed that knowledge assembly
techniques should be applicable across organisms; however, we welcome proposals for specific organisms (or biological
questions) as focal points for this analysis.
- New Analytical Instrumentation and Methods. We seek proposals that aim to develop the next generation of Analytical methodology associated with Proteomics and Metabolomics analysis. These proposals may include efforts to develop systems that will increase sensitivity or information content. We are especially interested in approaches that would improve efforts to understand the following: 1) protein-protein or protein-ligand interactions; and, 2) the sites and structures of post-translational modifications. It is anticipated that funding for these proposals will begin sometime in the latter part of year 1 or early part of year 2 of the METACyt initiative.
