Division of Metabolite Medicine at the BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery

Michał Kaczmarek, Division of Metabolite Medicine, BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv, Israel (michealkz@tauex.tau.ac.il)

The BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery (BCDD) is an integrated center for translational research in the fields of drug discovery and biomedicine. Recently, BCDD proudly announced the inauguration of a new Division of Metabolite Medicine, an analytical laboratory space fully equipped with inter alia the state-of-the-art liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry technology including Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ IQ-X™ Tribrid™ Mass Spectrometer, Thermo Scientific™ TSQ Altis™ Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer and Bruker rapifleX® MALDI-TOF/TOF system. Within the scope of operation, the laboratory will offer untargeted metabolomics analysis in addition to quantitative targeted assays of selected metabolites. Collaborators and Clients interested in the services provided by the Division, even prior to the formal analysis receive a clear outline of deliverables and turnaround time, study design support, and straightforward sample handling guidelines necessary to ensure the high-quality mass spectrometry data. Following the delivery of the test material to the Division, samples are processed in the laboratory, and mass spectrometry data is acquired and analyzed, resulting in an insightful report featuring different kinds of statistics, and plots. This poster will provide an overview of the current work the Division is involved in, i.e., the generation of an in-house human metabolome library, development of proprietary LC-MS software tools and cancer cells metabolomics project, as well as an outline of future plans, and general capabilities.

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Short Biography of Presenting Author

Michał Kaczmarek is an analytical chemist and forensic toxicologist leading the research and development of the BMM metabolomics platform. He joined the BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery after participating in a collaborative study between the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (FORMAS) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala and Alnarp. There he investigated the uptake of perfluoroalkyl substances, pharmaceuticals, and parabens by Pleurotus ostreatus and assessed associated exposure risk in human consumption. As a forensic analytical toxicologist, Michał also worked with Polish law enforcement agencies, analyzed blood alcohol concentration (BAC), determined the content of Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9-THC) in plants, performed screening tests for illicit substances, and identified hard and designer drugs in seized evidence samples. He holds a dual master’s degree from the University of Tartu and Uppsala University in the Excellence in Analytical Chemistry and Bioorganic Analysis.