The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ARCF) Single Cell Cancer Proteomics Laboratory is jointly funded by ACRF, the University of Sydney and the Cancer Institute NSW. It is Australia’s first dedicated single-cell cancer proteomics laboratory and is available to researchers across Australia.
The national platform will enable the analysis of proteins in individual cancer and immune cells, helping to reveal why some patients with melanoma, prostate or breast cancers, or those receiving CAR T-cell therapy for lymphoma, do not respond to treatment.
Single cell proteomics provide greatly reduced coefficient of variation relative to single cell transcriptomics, giving more statistical power over a much larger dynamic range. This allows broad cell classification and detection of minor deviations that drive phenotypes from much smaller sample sizes. It will help doctors choose the very best personalised treatment for each patient and uncover completely new ways to target cancer.
The facility is hosted by Sydney Mass Spectrometry, a Core Research Facility at the University of Sydney.
Laser capture micro-dissection (LMD) defines and isolates specific histological structures in tissue and cells. Regions of interest (ROIs), which can be as small as a single cell, are isolated and used for downstream proteomics and metabolomics, allowing for the characterisation of region-specific proteomes and molecular signatures.
Once the cells have been arrayed in 384 well plates, the proteins will be extracted and digested with the aid of a Tecan Fluent 780 robotic workstation.
The discovery proteomics is performed using the best-in class Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Astral Zoom mass spectrometer in combination with either the Evosep or Vanquish Neo HPLC depending on the sample type. These powerful combinations enabled reproducible quantification of up to approximately 5,000 proteins per cells at a rate of 90 cells per date.
Access to the facility is either via our "research-hotel" or our contract research services. The facility is supported by a dedicated Senior Technical Officer who manages the single-cell proteomics workflow and will assist in deploying this to support your cancer research.
Access options:
1. Register with our "research-hotel" to receive training so you can run your own samples.
2. Access our contract research services and have a skilled mass spectrometrists process the samples and collect and analyse the data. The services currently available include:
Location
The ACRF Single Cell Cancer Proteomics Laboratory is located in the Charles Perkins Centre, within the Sydney Mass Spectrometry Core Research Facility.
Delivery address
Sydney Mass Spectrometry
via The Hub Loading Dock
Charles Perkins Centre (D17)
Orphans School Creek Lane
Camperdown
University of Sydney, NSW, 2006
Dock receiving time: 08:00 – 15:00, Mon - Fri.
