Overview
PTFI technology development was initiated in June 2021 with a series of pilot projects, organized into three parts with the following objectives:
LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS
- Engage select analytical labs to profile a small set of representative foods using their existing methods.
- Assess best practice for classification of analytes.
- Assess the state of annotation tools.
- Understand how to organize and process the data files produced.
METHOD DEVELOPMENT
- Acquire an initial chemical library comprising molecules with a wide range of chemical properties.
- Test a pre-analytical fractionation scheme against the initial chemical library.
- Assign food molecule classes to analytical methods by chemical class and fractionation results.
- Begin work on optimizing the fractionation method for the separation and quantification of analytes.
FIRST 100 FOODS
- Test internal standard-based quantification on a variety of foods.
- Develop basic data harmonization processes.
- Produce initial data on a sufficient variety of foods to drive interest and case studies for the PTFI.
- Select the candidate methods to take forward into formal development for the PTFI.
Outcomes
Tracy summarizes:
Partner lab engagement (identify labs), initial food sample analysis (list food samples), data assessment (describe process)
Technology partners (identify partners), chemical library assembly, fractionation method assessment
Method testing of chemical library/foods, broad food analysis/data harmonization, data finalization for case study development