Joint service on chemical ecology and metabolomic platform

Chemical ecology is a multidisciplinary approach that allows to study the interactions between organisms, and interactions between organisms with their environment. These interactions are mainly mediated by specialized metabolites that play key roles on the survival of organisms in their natural environments. They constitute the principal mediators involved in chemical communication processes (pheromones, allelochemicals, Volatile Organic Compounds). They contribute signifi-catively to biodiversity structuring and ecosystem functioning. They are also involved in the protection of organisms facing environmental stresses.
This common support service will offer to IMBE members :
• tools to prepare and condition samples before chemical analysis
• analytical methodologies to study organic compounds contained in samples
• a technical support to analyze, interpret the results, but also to apply the security instructions in a chemical analysis laboratory
• a technical support to implement and improve new methodologies

Liste des personnels

Liste des chercheurs, enseignants chercheurs et des personnels techniques (+ localisation = lieu ou site) :

Contacts

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Services

The main tools of this common support service are :
• a Gas Chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometry detector (injection by thermodesorption with autosampler : TD/GC-MS). The analysis by TD/GC-MS allows the characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds emitted by plants, litter and soil samples. This approach can also be applied to freshwater or marine organisms (e.g. phy-toplancton, marine magnoliophyta). Possible analyses : mainly isoprene, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.
• a Gas Chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometry detector (direct injection with autosampler DI/GC-MS). Gas Chromatography (by direct injection) is dedicated to the analysis of volatile Organic compounds contained by or-ganisms, litter or soil samples. Possible analyses : terpenoids (essential oil or cold solvent extraction), fatty acids (cu-ticular waxes).
• A Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatograph coupled to a High Resolution Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry detector (UHPLC-QqToF, technical plateau MALLABAR). First regional platform dedicated to ecology and environ-ment, this equipment is shared with collaborators from the University of Toulon, Nice and Galway (Ireland). UHPLC-HRMS analysis allows to characterize with a high precision the chemical diversity of biological or environmental ma-trices. Possible analyses : untargeted (fingerprinting) or targeted (e.g. profiling of alkaloids, flavonoids) metabolomic analysis.
Moreover these three analytical equipments, this common support service could also offer different sampling devices that allow to trap or extract organic compounds (dynamic sampling device of COVB, submarine device, automatic extractors). Ecotoxicologial tests (Microtox®) or behavioral ecology device are also available.