Intracellular metabolite concentrations can be a highly sensitive indicator of cellular phenotype. Using mass spectrometry based untargeted metabolite profiling we monitor intracellular metabolite concentrations and their changes to universal stressors. Our experimentation has defined the technological limitations experienced in the field of mass spectrometry based metabolomics, where like the shutter speed of a vintage film projector levels of metabolites are typically viewed with low time resolution. This limitation is primarily due to arduous sample preparation which requires significant time investment. We have successfully prototyped an integrated microfluidic/mass spectrometry system in which we can successfully monitor metabolite levels in "real time" (one measurement every second). This technology takes cells grown in continuous culture directly to detection using integrated microfluidics for continuous metabolite extraction.
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