Development of a Standard Reference Material for Metabolomics Research

Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has developed a Standard Reference Material (SRM) to support technology development in metabolomics research. SRM 1950 Metabolites in Human Plasma is intended to have metabolite concentrations that are representative of those found in adult human plasma. The plasma used in the preparation of SRM 1950 was collected from both male and female donors, and donor ethnicity targets were selected based upon the ethnic makeup of the U.S. population. Metabolomics research is diverse in terms of both instrumentation and scientific goals. This SRM was designed to apply broadly to the field, not toward specific applications. Therefore, concentrations of approximately 100 analytes, including amino acids, fatty acids, trace elements, vitamins, hormones, selenoproteins, clinical markers, and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), were determined. Value assignment measurements were performed by NIST and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). SRM 1950 is the first reference material developed specifically for metabolomics research.

Metabolome-wide association study of phenylalanine in plasma of common marmosets

“…Where feasible, metabolite identities were confirmed via MS/MS and matching fragmentation patterns to those of known standards. For Phe and some metabolites, quantification was obtained relative to authentic standards using a method of additions and/or calibration relative to NIST Standard Reference Material 1950 (Phinney et al 2013; Simon-Manso et al 2013). Concentrations are expressed as mean ± standard deviation.…”

Metabolomics of fescue toxicosis in grazing beef steers

“…Both mass spectrometers were coupled with either anion-exchange (AE) or reverse phase (C18) liquid chromatography (LC). All samples were run in triplicates utilizing both forms of LC, with a M A N U S C R I P T A C C E P T E D ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 9 pooled reference sample, which was calibrated to the NIST SRM 1950, run every 21 st sample (Phinney et al, 2013). The chromatography was performed with a temporal acetonitrile gradient for 10 min.…”

Lipid concentrations in standard reference material (SRM) 1950: results from an interlaboratory comparison exercise for lipidomics

“…The basic framework of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) interlaboratory comparison for lipidomics was to distribute one vial of Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1950 -Metabolites in Frozen Human Plasma to each participating laboratory, and to encourage each participant to employ the analytical methodologies that they typically use to quantify lipids in their laboratory. SRM 1950 was chosen as the vehicle for the comparison exercise as it has been previously recognized and promoted as an appropriate reference material for metabolomics (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). In addition, SRM 1950 was constructed to approximate "normal" blood plasma indicative of the United States population (see http://srm1950.nist.gov/).…”