Thermo Fisher Scientific is collaborating with the Brainmet (Bioimaging of Metals in Brain and Metallomics) Centre at Forschungszentrum, Julich, Germany, to advance dementia research.
The organisations will study the effects of metals and metalloproteins in ageing and in the origin of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and Wilson's syndrome.
To carry out the research in the Brainmet laboratory, a Thermo Scientific Xseries 2 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) was installed, combining third-generation collision cell and protective ion extraction technologies with an ergonomic, compact design.
In most neurodegenerative diseases, abnormal accumulations of metals are observed in the brain, leading to the destruction of the neural network and subsequent cell death.
Analysts at the Brainmet Centre are researching the quantitative distribution of essential and toxic metals in thin native tissue sections on the brain.
When combining the studies on the bioimaging of metals to metallomics, it is possible to explore the relationship between metal ions and metalloproteins in brain tissue and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease.
The resulting data from these studies are combined by Brainmet with neuro-scientific imaging procedures (MRI, PET, auto-radiography, histochemical and optical imaging techniques) to enable high-tech biomedical research.
