Using state-of-the-art chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods, our lab provides chemical analysis of plant and fungal secondary metabolites such as mycotoxins, phytohormones, phytoalexins, and other phytochemicals, in addition to the analysis of the volatiles (VOCs) and small molecular primary metabolites, such as fatty acids, amino acids, sugars, and alcohols. We also perform preparative chromatography for the purification of specific natural products. We support fundamental and applied research and provide our students, investigators, and research collaborators with the required analytical solutions.

Our lab is NOT a service facility; therefore, we cooperate with external projects only within a framework of scientific collaboration.

The scope of chemical analysis we perform includes the following:

• Mycotoxin analysis (regulated, non-regulated, masked and emerging mycotoxins, as well as other fungal secondary metabolites)
• Phytochemical analysis (phytohormones, phytoalexins, as well as other chemical classes of plant secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, glucosinolates and saponins)
• Primary metabolome analysis (sugars, amino acids, alcohols, fatty acids)
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Analysis (plant and fungal derived volatile organic compounds)
• Purification of secondary metabolites from fungal and plant extracts: for conducting bioassay-guided fractionation experiments, purifying analytical standards when commercial standards are not available or affordable, and facilitating the structure elucidation process of a new compound

Techniques

This is a powerful and highly sensitive instrument for analyzing mycotoxins and secondary plant metabolites such as phytohormones and other phytochemicals. Moreover, LC/TQ MS is a well-known method for analyzing pesticides and other contaminants in food, feed, and environmental samples.

This instrument delivers high-resolution mass spectrometry and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS/MS). It is a powerful technique for identifying novel compounds and for non-targeted metabolic profiling.

GCMS is a highly sensitive technique for characterizing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (such as terpenoids, benzenoids, and fatty acid derivatives compounds) and for other small molecular metabolites, such as fatty acids, amino acids, sugars, alcohols, and sterols.

HPLC systems coupled with various optical detectors:

• Agilent 1290 Infinity Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (ELSD) coupled with Agilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC System
• Agilent 1290 Infinity II Diode Array Detector (DAD) coupled with Agilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC System
• Jasco FP-2020 plus Fluorescence detector coupled with Jasco HPLC system PU-2085 PLUS