Next-gen mass spectrometer launches, set to transform biomedical research
Installation of the first Orbitrap Astral Zoom mass spectrometer in the southern hemisphere has been launched at the Bio21 Institute.
Image: [Left to right] Jo Broughton, VP & GM, Australia & New Zealand at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Prof Michael Parker, Director Bio21 Institute, and A/Prof Nichollas Scott, Principal Research Fellow, Dept of Microbiology and Immunology, officially launched the installation of the Orbitrap Astral Zoom at the Bio21 Institute Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility.
This marks a significant leap forward in research capabilities across the biological, environmental and medical sciences.
The new instrument has the potential to improve disease diagnosis, aid in the development of more effective treatments, and contribute to our understanding of fundamental biological processes that affect human health and the environment.
Professor Matt Watt, Associate Dean of Research (MDHS) and Head of Laboratory in the Dept of Anatomy & Physiology, said: "This instrument is a game-changer for our research community. Its unprecedented speed and sensitivity will allow us to delve deeper into complex biological systems, opening new avenues for understanding and treating diseases.”
“Having the first of such instruments in the Southern Hemisphere positions the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct at the forefront of global research, enhancing our collective ability to collaborate on innovative structural biology and biopharmaceutical applications with industry and top research groups worldwide.”
Developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific, the Orbitrap Astral Zoom represents the latest generation of high-end mass spectrometry technology. It offers data collection rates ten times faster than previous generations and provides near single-molecule level sensitivity, enabling researchers to undertake experiments faster and extract richer information from biological samples.
Its acquisition was made possible by funding from an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) grant co-led by teams from across the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University.
Image: Prof Michael Parker at the Orbitrap Astral Zoom launch
Professor Ivan Marusic, Pro Vice-chancellor (Research Infrastructure) at the University of Melbourne, highlighted the instrument's potential impact on biomedical research.
"This technology will revolutionise our approach to studying disease states. By enabling the analysis of small sample types, including patient biopsies and cells isolated from blood samples, we can now explore conditions that were previously challenging to study at the molecular level.”
“This has enormous implications for improving diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, from rare metabolic disorders to more common conditions such as influenza infections."
The Orbitrap Astral Zoom will benefit a wide range of research fields, including environmental microbiology, exercise physiology, and oceanography. It will enable more detailed studies of how pathogenic bacteria survive in the environment, how muscle cells respond to exercise, and how bacteria within the ocean recycle sulfur from biological molecules.
The Orbitrap Astral Zoom will be housed in the Bio21 Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, an open-access research hub serving over 300 users from more than 70 research laboratories across institutions including the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, Monash University, RMIT, Swinburne University, James Cook University, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and CSIRO.
The acquisition of the Orbitrap Astral Zoom is part of a broader partnership between the University of Melbourne and Thermo Fisher Scientific, formalised earlier this year with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the launch of the Applications, Service and Knowledge (A.S.K.) Centre.
This article was originally published by the University of Melbourne on 8th October.