H2 Molecular biopathology equipment

• 2 2100 Bioanalysers (Agilent®)
• 1 NanoDrop® for sample quantification (Ozyme®)
• 1 Liquidator (Mettler Toledo®)
• 2 QUBIT® sample quantification (Labtech®)
• 6 PCR blocks (96 wells)
• 1 ViiA7 PCR Quantification block, 96 wells (Life Technologies®)
• 2 PCR VERITI® blocks (Life Technologies®)
• 1 DNA Extractor EZ1 (Qiagen®)
• 1 48 Capillary array sequencer shared with Biopath (Life Technologies®)
• 2 PGM IonTorrent® + 3 OneTouch, NG sequencing (Life Technologies®)

Molecular biopathology section

This section performs molecular assays (sequencing of more than 350 targets, PCR, qPCR, NGS etc.) in the context of clinical trials or research studies. This section is also involved in testing for mutations in the context of the Gustave Roussy Personalised Medicine programme.

The skill base of the section has been broadened by developing a team to research knowledge transfer in Haematology.
The nature of blood diseases has led to the development of methods of cell selection designed to isolate sub-populations from tumour samples.

Prof. Alexander Eggermont

Professor of Oncological Surgery
General Director of Gustave Roussy from 2010 to 2019

Team members

• Guido Kroemer, Head of the platform
• Sylvère Durand, Analytics manager
• Fanny Aprahamian, Technical assistant

Metabolomics platform ressources

The facility consists of two complementary chromatography/mass spectrometry systems as well as Mass Spectrometry Imaging:

• UHPLC U3000 Dionex - Orbitrap q-Exactive Thermo Scientific
• UHPLC 1290 Binary Pump Agilent - QQQ 6470 Agilent
• DESI-SYNAPT XS Waters

We also have a complete dedicated sample preparation room, equipped with -80°C freezer.

Metabolomics platform activities

Mass-spectrometry is the core technology of our facility enabling to measure all potential classes of metabolites for both exploratory and targeted approaches.

Exploratory metabolomics profiling is performed on a high resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS) coupled to ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC).

Targeted metabolomics relies on multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) after separation by UHPLC, depending on the properties of the metabolites of interest.

Clinical trials

The objective of clinical trials is to improve patient care and treatment at all stages of disease. They assess the efficacy and safety of new treatments before these are offered to all suitable patients.

These new treatments may be new drugs, combinations of drugs, new ways of administering them or new treatment techniques (surgery, radiotherapy). Clinical studies may be initiated by the pharmaceutical industry, groups of cooperating centres or Gustave Roussy itself.