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| NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility | |
|---|---|
| Name | NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility |
| Established | 2009 |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Type | Research infrastructure |
| Affiliations | Natural Environment Research Council |
NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility
The NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility is a United Kingdom research infrastructure supporting environmental and ecological research through advanced mass spectrometry services. It provides analytical capabilities to investigators from institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh and government institutes including British Antarctic Survey and Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. The Facility underpins projects funded by agencies like the Natural Environment Research Council, European Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and international programs such as the Global Environment Facility.
The Facility offers high-resolution instrumental platforms and method development for applications spanning proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and trace element analysis, delivering data for studies at sites including Long-Term Ecological Research Network, LTER stations, Scottish Highlands, Lake District National Park and polar locations serviced by RRS Sir David Attenborough. Users include researchers from King's College London, University of Manchester, Cardiff University and non-academic partners such as Natural Resources Wales and Environment Agency (England and Wales). It supports interdisciplinary initiatives connected to programs like UK Research and Innovation, Horizon Europe, International Arctic Science Committee and INTERACT.
Established with funding and strategic direction from the Natural Environment Research Council and partners in the late 2000s, the Facility evolved from mass spectrometry groups at institutions including University of Birmingham, University of Southampton, University of Glasgow and University of St Andrews. Early governance drew on advisory input from stakeholders such as Science and Technology Facilities Council, Royal Society and international experts connected to US National Institutes of Health and Max Planck Society. Over time it incorporated techniques influenced by developments at facilities like European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Sanger Institute, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron and instrumentation roadmaps from vendors serving Thermo Fisher Scientific and Bruker Corporation.
Laboratory sites host platforms including high-resolution orbitrap and time-of-flight mass spectrometers, tandem triple quadrupole systems, ion mobility spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry units. Instrument suites have parallels at centers such as Wellcome Sanger Institute, EMBL-EBI, Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry and offer sample preparation infrastructure comparable to that at John Innes Centre and James Hutton Institute. Ancillary equipment includes liquid chromatography units compatible with standards used by International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, gas chromatography systems used by European Commission reference labs, and automated robotics like those in Broad Institute core facilities.
The Facility delivers end-to-end services for projects in areas linked to biodiversity, climate change, pollution, food webs and disease ecology. It processes samples from field campaigns led by groups such as Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, ZSL (Zoological Society of London), National Oceanography Centre and Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Services include quantitative assays for biomarkers used in studies by Met Office, isotopic analyses aligned with protocols from International Atomic Energy Agency, and proteomic pipelines applied in collaborations with Wellcome Trust investigators. Data outputs feed into modelling efforts at institutions like UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and international syntheses coordinated by IPCC contributors.
Strategic partnerships link the Facility with universities including University of Leeds, University of Bristol, University of York, research organisations such as British Geological Survey and international consortia like LifeWatch ERIC and ELIXIR. Project collaborations have included work with Natural History Museum, London, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Scottish Association for Marine Science and policy-focused bodies such as Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and European Environment Agency. The Facility also engages with industry partners (instrument manufacturers and contract research organisations) and networks including UKRI and Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Training programs provide workshops and accredited courses for researchers and technicians from institutions like University of Southampton, University of Liverpool, University of Exeter and government laboratories including Public Health England. Courses cover experimental design, sample preparation, data processing using platforms related to ProteomeXchange, MetaboLights and bioinformatics tools developed by groups at European Bioinformatics Institute and Wellcome Sanger Institute. Outreach includes placements for postgraduate students funded through schemes by Natural Environment Research Council and fellowships tied to Royal Society and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.
Governance is provided by oversight boards comprising representatives from funding bodies such as Natural Environment Research Council, partner universities including University of Birmingham and research organisations like Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Funding has combined core grants, project-specific awards from programmes such as Horizon Europe and service-level agreements with stakeholders including Environment Agency (England and Wales) and international collaborators linked to United Nations Environment Programme. Financial and strategic reviews align with policies from UK Research and Innovation and reporting expectations from funders including Wellcome Trust and European Research Council.
Category:Mass spectrometry facilities