Integrated platform including automated bligh and dyer extraction and dual-column

Sample preparation workflows for metabolomic studies of tissues or cells require most of the time a Bligh and Dyer extraction or one of its variant (e.g. the Folch extraction). This step is cumbersome and generally performed manually in order to separate the aqueous fraction containing polar endogenous metabolites from the
organic fraction containing apolar compounds like lipids. Proteins remain at the interface of the two solvents.
Here we propose to integrate an automated Bligh and Dyer extraction on a robotic system including a dual-column UHPLC-MS/MS platform for the metabolomic analysis of tissues or cells. The aqueous fraction is split and analysed sequentially at two different mobile phase pH values, whereas the lipidic fraction is analysed alternately with an extended gradient.