Associate Professor Robert Trengove

Room: AUS1/1.003

Projects

1. Plant Metabolomics in collaboration with Professor Richard Oliver (ACNFP – Australain Centre for Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens) and Professor Steven Smith (ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology)

Metabolomics is an emerging field that involves the study of the metabolome, the complement of all metabolites expressed in a cell, tissue or organism during its lifetime. Metabolomics studies seek to define the levels, activities, regulation and interactions of all metabolites in a biological system and how these quantities or
interactions change in response to external stimuli. Changes in the metabolome are directly influenced by environmental factors and genetic alterations. Consequently, metabolomics is an effective tool for studying the individual and combined effects of environmental and genetic factors on disease processes.

The analysis techniques used include Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry.

2. Hemochromatosis biomarker assay research in collaboration with Professor Olynyk and Dr Trinder (Fremantle Hospital)

Hemochromatosis is a hereditary disorder affecting iron metabolism in which excessive amounts of iron accumulate in the body tissues. The disorder is characterized by diabetes mellitus, liver dysfunction, and a bronze pigmentation of the skin. This research will develop biomarker assays for the detection and monitoring of Hemochromatosis patients. In addition these techniques will be used to study the iron regulation in health patients under conditions of stress.

The assays will use LCMS and MALDI-TOF-MS together with various sample preparation methodologies.

3. Development of Environmental Monitoring Methodologies using Selective Detection Systems in collaboration with the US EPA

Currently developing new US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Method 8135 - amines in waste water. Method 8135 is a GC based method using a range of both “universal” and selective detectors including the flame ionisation detector (FID), nitrogen phosphorous detector (NPD), nitrogen chemiluminescence detector (NCLD), election ionisation (EI) mass spectrometry, and positive and negative ionisation (PCI & NCI) mass spectrometry. The ability to explain and predict the potential for chemical ionisation of the amines is an integral part of this study. The impact of stationary phase chemistry and sample introduction methodology are crucial factors in the ultimate limits of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) for the methodologies. The methodology is being developed in two stages that will eventually lead to establishment of robust monitoring methodologies that will cover US and European identified priority amine pollutants.

An equivalent HPLC based method will be developed next using UV/vis diode array detector (DAD) nitrogen chemiluminescence detector (NCLD), fluorescence detector (FLD) and mass spectrometry detector (LC/MS).

GC-ICPMS will be used for the analysis of polybrominated flame retardants and chlorinated pesticides in environmental samples.

4. Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Environmental Contaminants from gas, solid and liquid matrices

Methodologies will be developed for organic and inorganic pollutant systems.

5. Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Plant Materials

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is a “soft” extraction technique for plants and it produces extracts that most closely resembles the “in vitro” composition of oils for existing commercial processes. Analytical scale SFE provides a cost effective and rapid method for the screening of flora.

6. Scale up of analytical SFE to pilot scale production of essential oils from Western Australian Botanicals

Oil Yield and Composition Screening of Western Australian Sandalwood
This project provides important information for the sustainable management of the Western Australian Sandalwood Industry and the emergence of an oil production for perfumery industry. The next stage in this research area is to develop non-destructive screening methods that can be used to identify “gold” trees in the field for the oil production industry. A key future path in this research is the development of methodologies to determine at the earliest possible age thos nursery-produced trees that have oil production potential.

7. Measurement and modelling of solubilities in Supercritical Fluids

We are interested in the solubility of chelating agents and metal chelates in supercritical carbon dioxide and modified carbon dioxide.

 

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