The bioAMS facility at LLNL supports users across the biomedical research community, including scientists based at universities and other national labs and institutions that are part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) research community.
The resource supports users who are exploring the behavior of new drug candidates, including efforts to speed development of safe, effective therapeutics, and research aimed at combating emerging pathogens and environmental toxins. Its capabilities enable scientists to conduct ultra-sensitive analyses of radioisotopes to determine the quantity of biomarkers present in samples. In addition, by coupling this capability with other analytical methods available at the facility, biomedical researchers can also identify the analyte.
Each research project is unique. With that in mind, we offer options for users to integrate our experimental capabilities into their projects.
Submit samples
Many users choose to send samples to LLNL for analysis by our team. In these instances, we collaborate with scientists, providing guidance for:
- Sample preparation, protocols, and controls that need to be incorporated into experimental procedures when handling radioisotopes.
- The optimal approach for labeling and packaging samples in airtight containers and shipping them to LLNL.
- The data that needs to accompany each sample submission to facilitate optimal analysis.
- Timelines for sample submission and receiving data from the bioAMS team.
- Regulatory requirements for working with vertebrate animals or human subjects.
After processing and analyzing samples, the bioAMS team provides users with data obtained through our analysis and can provide guidance regarding data interpretation.
Observe sample analysis
Some users choose to visit the resource and participate in sample analyses. With this approach, they can:
- Observe our sample preparation and analysis processes
- Gain insight into sample preparation options for future stages of the research project.
- View the techniques we use to avoid contaminating samples and our workspace.
Visiting us in person also allows investigators to explore our full suite of experimental capabilities, so they can better understand options for using our analytical capabilities in follow-on studies.
Contact our team to discuss opportunities to visit and observe sample analysis.
Conduct small-scale pilot studies
Scientists at the bioAMS resource collaborate with colleagues at other institutions to conduct small-scale pilot studies, which produce preliminary data for an NIH research proposal or similar funding application. LLNL staff collaborate with external colleagues to design the pilot study, and then LLNL staff conduct the research in LLNL-based bioAMS labs—generating and preparing samples, analyzing samples, and providing pilot data to the collaborating institution.
These small-scale pilot studies can include analysis of cell cultures, tissue cultures, or animal exposures requiring biochemical tracer studies of carbon-14. They have a limited scope and a clear hypothesis, which can be tested using a small data set.
Examples of this type of pilot study include:
- A single dose-effect study with a test compound.
- Demonstration of protein or DNA adduct formation.
- A demonstration using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography AMS to indicate metabolism of a test compound.
Researchers who are interested in submitting a pilot study application should contact us to determine if the study would be a good fit for the resource’s capabilities. Following those discussions, potential users will be invited to submit a formal application.
We support a variety of experimental work, and we can tailor our scope of work to each user’s needs and research plans—including single experiments or ongoing projects that involve a series of linked experiments.
If you are interested in using the resource’s capabilities to support your research, the first step is to contact us to discuss your ideas, and together we can explore options.
Following these initial discussions, if you want to move ahead with a formal application to use the resource, we’ll provide you with detailed information regarding what you will need to submit, such as:
- The purpose of your research.
- Types of samples you want to analyze and how you will collect them.
- The number of samples you want to analyze and the size of each sample.
- When you plan to have the samples ready for analysis.
- When you need results from our analysis.
Our coaching doesn’t end when you submit your formal application. We’ll continue interacting with you throughout the application and review process and during sample analysis.
Once we receive your application, our review panel reads it and discusses whether your experimental design aligns well with resource capabilities, including the scope of your research and the capabilities you plan to use for sample analysis. Following that discussion, we will contact you if we need additional information, or if we have questions or suggestions regarding how to maximize the scientific value of sample analysis conducted at the resource.
Once a project is formally approved, we will identify:
- A scientific point of contact for your project, who will provide ongoing guidance regarding experimental design, sample preparation, and data analysis. This individual will check in with your project team on a periodic basis to make sure we are providing the help you need, in the timeframe you need it.
- A project manager, who will be your primary administrative point of contact throughout the project, handling logistics regarding sample submission, as well as requirements related to review by LLNL’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and/or the Institutional Review Board (IRB). All research proposals involving human subjects and/or vertebrate animals must conform to relevant NIH guidelines.
Typically, there is no cost to use resource capabilities, as costs are covered by our NIH funding. However, if a user’s experiment involves a high number of samples, the user may need to cover the cost of a nominal per-sample measurement fee.
If results are published in journal articles or presented at a conference, we ask users to acknowledge that work was performed at the NIH-funded resource with the following text:
Work performed in part at the National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, which is operated at LLNL under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. The User Resource is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under grant R24GM137748.
One key goal of the bioAMS resource is to teach investigators how to optimize the design of their experiments to obtain high-quality data and how to interpret that data. User training also enables us to connect with students and early career researchers who are interested in learning more about how to use Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) to quantify extremely low concentrations of long-lived radioisotopes.
In addition to our discussions with users regarding specific project needs, we provide general training for potential users, either onsite or online. Many first-time users, as well as students and early career researchers, choose to visit the resource in person to observe our sample preparation and analysis process.
During a visit, they can learn more about:
- The instruments we use to analyze samples and the techniques associated with each analytical method.
- The types of samples we analyze and how users label and package samples sent to the resource.
- The types of data available through each analytical method.
- How to interpret data generated by each analytical method.
- Techniques used to avoid contaminating your samples or your workspace.
To discuss opportunities to visit the resource in person, explore the option for virtual training, or receive training material, contact us.
Ready to use the resource?
