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Our team recently visited the Chemistry Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford to install a Whitley H35 Hypoxystation, paired with an i2 Instrument Workstation which will house a Seahorse Analyzer used by the McCullagh Group in the Department of Chemistry.
Professor James McCullagh is the Director of the Mass Spectrometry Research Facility and his group’s research focuses on developing mass spectrometry and separation science applications at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine.
This involves comprehensive identification and quantification of small molecules in complex natural systems from the isolation and testing of plant natural products to investigating changes in metabolism associated with diseases such as cancer.
Understanding how metabolism changes in disease can lead to new therapeutic targets and innovative ways to diagnose, treat and monitor disease.
The H35 Hypoxystation along with the i2 Instrument Workstation will be heavily utilised in the study of cell and tissue metabolism under hypoxic conditions with various collaborations both internally and externally.
These studies can be carried out under varied oxygen tensions which range from 0.1% to 20% and can be adjusted in increments of 0.1% in the H35 Hypoxystation.
The i2 Instrument Workstation provides the ideal environment as it cools the Seahorse device with 0% CO2 for optimum performance as well as providing an atmosphere where cells and tissue can be incubated at physiologically relevant conditions.
The combination of the two workstations allows an easy flow of plates from the H35 Hypoxystation to the i2 Instrument Workstation.
Although a small detail - the wireless foot pedals operating the vacuum for the sleeves have proved to be a big hit for the team for ease of use and as a preventative measure for trip hazards!
The features of the H35 Hypoxystation and i2 Instrument Workstation will be paramount in enabling Professor McCullagh’s team to conduct their research under hypoxic conditions.
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