Helsinki University Lipidomics Unit (HiLIPID)

Welcome to Helsinki University Lipidomics Unit (HiLIPID) – Research Infrastructure of HiLIFE – Helsinki Institute of Life Science and Biocenter Finland.

HiLIPID service laboratory is located at the Viikki campus (Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Molecular and Integrative Biosciences) and is run by adjunct professor Reijo Käkelä with Dr Minna Holopainen, Dr Hanna Ruhanen and Dr Andrew House. Collaborating laboratory at Meilahti campus (Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine) is run by adjunct professor Pentti Somerharju.

HiLIPID is an academic research and service facility, which provides services subject to charge for research groups, companies and authorities. We are serving customers from the fields of environmental, ecological, basic biosciences, veterinarian and biomedical research.

Services have been provided since 2014, based on the experience of nearly 40 years in lipid analytics. Our strengths are mass spectrometry-based lipidomics and gas chromatography of fatty acids followed by multivariate data analysis. We have experience in metabolic studies utilizing labeled precursors. Recently, lipid mediator analysis was added to our service catalog. We have obtained a high average score in HiLIFE research infrastructure user survey, and performed especially well in quality and staff support.

Services
  • Sample preparation and derivatization by trained users or as service
  • Instrument use by trained users with specialist support and maintenance
  • Full analytical service from sample preparation to data treated by multivariate statistics
  • Other tailored combinations of user and specialist work
Instruments
  • Sciex QTRAP 6500+ LC-MS/MS with Agilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC
  • Agilent 6490 Triple Quad LC/MS with 1290 Infinity UHPLC
  • Agilent 6410 Triple Quad LC/MS
  • Shimadzu GCMS-QP2010 Ultra, GC-MSD
  • Shimadzu GC-2010 Plus system, GC-FID
  • Camag HPTLC system
Analysis and Fees

HiLIPID provides various services ranging from full analysis of lipids to supported renting of the instruments. The service list describes the typical services we provide, however, please ask a quotation for your customized service.

Note that specific long-term mass spectrometric or chromatographic full services (including metabolic studies using labeled lipid precursors, analyses of lipid mediators or other services that require reserving of machinery for a longer period for one application) should always be based on written service agreements with case-specific prices. Moreover, we offer multivariate statistical analyses. Please contact us for more information!

Fatty acid analysis by gas chromatography

  • Preparing methyl ester derivatives for GC of fatty acids (tissue, cell or fluid sample)
  • Quantitative fatty acid composition by GC-FID
  • GC-MSD verification of fatty acid structures

Global lipidomics by mass spectrometry

  • Folch lipid extraction (tissue, cell or fluid sample)
  • Lipid species composition by LC-MS/MS or ESI-MS/MS (the basic lipid package includes the species profiles of lipid classes depicted in the table below)
  • We also provide analyses of other lipids upon request!

    Lipid mediator analysis by targeted mass spectrometry

    • Solid-phase extraction of lipid mediators (tissue, cell or fluid sample)
    • Lipid mediator analysis by QTRAP LC-MS/MS

    Lipid class analysis by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)

    • Folch lipid extraction (tissue, cell or fluid sample)
    • HPTLC analysis of lipid classes by Camag instrument

     

    Service

    University of Helsinki research groups

    External - academic

    (+VAT 24%)

    External 

    (+VAT 24%)

    Fatty acid analysis with gas chromatography (GC)

     

     

     

    Preparing methyl ester derivatives for GC of fatty acids; service

    13 €/sample

    26 €/sample

    53 €/sample

    GC-FID of fatty acids; chromatogram and numeric data; only for trained users performing data analysis by themselves*

    26 €/sample

    38 €/sample

    63 €/sample

    GC-FID fatty acid analysis; service

    46 €/sample

    83 €/sample

    160 €/sample

    GC-MSD verification of fatty acid structures; service

    97 €/sample (one required for each sample type)

    171 €/sample (one required for each sample type)

    325 €/sample (one required for each sample type)

    Lipid analysis with mass spectrometry (MS)

     

     

     

    Folch lipid extraction (tissue, cell or fluid sample); service

    13 €/sample

    26 €/sample

    53 €/sample

    Triple quadrupole ESI-MS/MS of lipids with syringe infusion; rental at site

    85 €/hour

    100 €/hour

    190 €/hour

    Triple quadrupole ESI-MS/MS of basic lipid package** with syringe infusion; mass spectra and numeric data only; only for trained users performing data analysis by themselves

    85 €/sample

    100 €/sample

    150 €/sample

    Triple quadrupole ESI-MS/MS of basic lipid package** with syringe infusion; service

    105 €/sample

    131 €/sample

    230 €/sample

    Triple quadrupole LC-MS/MS of basic lipid package**; mass spectra and numeric data only; only for trained users performing data analysis by themselves

    58 €/sample

    73 €/sample

    150 €/sample

    Triple quadrupole LC-MS/MS of basic lipid package**; service

    82 €/sample

    127 €/sample

    230 €/sample

    Lipid class analysis hy high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC)

     

     

     

    HPTLC of lipid classes; rental at site

    58 €/plate (8 samples)

    88 €/plate (8 samples)

    124 €/plate (8 samples)

    HPTLC analysis of lipid classes; full service

    100 €/plate (8 samples)

    152 €/plate (8 samples)

    259 €/plate (8 samples)

    * additional fee 3 €/sample if sample concentration is required

    ** Basic lipid package includes the analysis of lipid classes depicted in the table below. We also provide analyses of other lipids upon request!

     

    Basic lipid package

    Analysis of the lipid species of a specific lipid class is included provided its amount in the sample enables its detection with the machinery available.

    LIPID CLASS

    Scan mode

    Phosphatidylcholines (PC) and LPCs

    Precursor Ion 184

    Phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) and LPEs

    Neutral Loss 141

    Phosphatidylserines (PS)

    Neutral Loss 87 / Neutral Loss 185

    Phosphatidylinositols (PI)

    Precursor Ion 241

    Sphingomyelins (SM)

    Precursor Ion 184

    Cholesteryl esters (CE)

    Precursor Ion 369

    Triacylglycerols (TG)

    MS Positive as NH3+ adducts

    UPON REQUEST

     

    Phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogens (PEp)

    MS Negative & confirmatory Precursor Ion scans for 364 (16:0p), 390 (18:1p), and 392 (18:0p)

    Ceramides (Cer)

    Precursor Ion 264

    Hexosylceramides (HexCer)

    Precursor Ion 264

    Sulphatides (SHexCer)

    Precursor Ion 97

    Diacylglycerols (DG)

    MS Positive as NH3+  adducts

    Monoacylglycerols (MG)

    MS Positive as NH3+  adducts

    Contact

    Please contact: hilipid-info@helsinki.fi

    R&D, Postdoctoral researcher:
    Minna Holopainen, PhD
    minna.holopainen@helsinki.fi

    R&D, Postdoctoral researcher:
    Andrew House, PhD
    andrew.house@helsinki.fi 

    R&D, Postdoctoral researcher:
    Hanna Ruhanen, PhD
    hanna.ruhanen@helsinki.fi

    Principal investigator (unit head):
    Adjunct professor Reijo Käkelä
    reijo.kakela@helsinki.fi
    +358 (0) 504486506

    Principal investigator:
    Adjunct professor Pentti Somerharju
    pentti.somerharju@helsinki.fi

    Laboratory technician:
    Sanna Sihvo

     

    Address

    Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences
    Helsinki University Lipidomics Unit
    Viikki Campus
    Biocenter 3, 2nd floor
    (Viikinkaari 1)
    PO BOX 65
    00014 University of Helsinki
    FINLAND