Developing analytical methods to study chemistry in cells: Thermo Fisher Scientific and Professor James McCullagh

Industrial research collaboration to develop analytical methods for studying chemistry in cells

ThermoFisher Scientific, one of the world’s leading scientific equipment, healthcare and life science providers, and the McCullagh Group in the Department of Chemistry have teamed up to work on the development of new LC-MS technologies and methods to investigate metabolism in cells, tissues and biofluids. 

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This research collaboration will pursue the development and application of new mass spectrometry and chromatographic approaches to comprehensively analyse small molecule and metabolites in complex biological samples. An important area of application is the study how cellular metabolism is altered in disease which can provide important clues about disease processes and help deliver new therapeutic targets. 

Photo of James McCullagh

Professor James McCullagh, Professor of Biological Chemistry, commented: “I am particularly excited about the opportunity to explore the capabilities of Ion-exchange chromatography coupled directly to mass spectrometry and applying it to cellular chemistry and metabolism studies. The technique provides significant potential for new applications where analytical chemistry and biological intersect, including precision medicine applications, diagnostics and early detection of disease studies.”

Oxford Chemistry is one of the world’s leading centres for the study of the chemistry of biology and this collaboration exemplifies the importance of academic-industry partnerships in developing chemical technologies that can provide new solutions to research challenges in biology, biochemistry and medicine. It falls within one of the Department's main research themes, Chemistry at the Interface with Biology and Medicine.