Amino acid analysis

Hosted by the iMPROVINg team, the amino acid analysis platform is the responsibility of Nourredine Hafnoui. It offers the possibility of determining the amino acid content of any biological sample, whether free or protein-building.
In addition to the equipment required for protein hydrolysis (heating blocks, tubes with coolers, evaporator-concentrator adapted to acids), the workshop has 3 additional pieces of equipment :

•  Amino acid analyzer : L-8900, Hitachi

Amino acid analysis is based on separation by cation exchange chromatography followed by post-column derivatization with ninhydrin. This is considered to be the reference technique.

The L-8900 analyzer offers excellent reproducibility and sensitivity.

•  Elemental analyzer (C,H,N,S) : Vario micro cube, Elementar

This analyzer simultaneously determines CHNS elements in various solid and liquid matrices. Using a conversion factor of 6.25, it enables the quantification of proteins in foods and tissues.

• HPLC : Ultimate 3000, Dionex

This HPLC system is used for the rapid quantification of specific amino acids. Methods have been developed for the quantification of amino-thiols (cysteine, glutathione, Cys-Gly, ?-Glu-Cys, N-acetylcysteine ...) and histidine-containing dipeptides (carnosine, anserine ...), in physiological fluids. In addition, equipped with a diode array detector (DAD), this HPLC is useful for initial characterization of peptides derived from protein digestion.
 

Although its activities mainly meet the needs of the unit's researchers, the workshop is open to external services and collaborations