During the project, we focused on refining and optimizing the single-cell metabolomics method, SpaceM, to prepare it for commercial applications. This involved streamlining the technical protocols, processing methods, and software to ensure robustness, scalability, and reproducibility. A key aspect of this work was the development of an approach to evaluate the variability among replicates and individual metabolites at the single-cell level. These advancements were crucial for validating the method's reliability and accuracy.
To demonstrate the method's practical utility, we conducted large-scale experiments. One such experiment involved analyzing cancer cell lines, including HeLa and nine NCI-60 lines, with over 200 samples. Another significant experiment involved CD4+ T cells, where we analyzed over 800 samples, each containing approximately 1000 cells. These experiments showcased SpaceM's capability to handle high-throughput analyses and provided valuable data on the metabolic profiles of different cell types.
We actively engaged with major pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, GSK, Servier, and Novartis, to present our single-cell metabolomics method. These presentations generated considerable interest, leading to the establishment of collaborations with these companies. Notably, we completed a collaborative viability project with AstraZeneca, evaluating the metabolic responses to a glutaminase inhibitor and another drug of interest. This project provided a proof-of-concept for SpaceM's application in drug discovery, demonstrating its potential to identify cell-specific metabolic effects.
In addition to technical and scientific achievements, we generated new intellectual property related to our single-cell metabolomics method. This intellectual property is in the process of being filed as a patent, which will support our future commercialization activities and protect our innovations.
Overall, the project successfully streamlined the SpaceM method, demonstrated its high-throughput capabilities, and established promising industry collaborations, paving the way for future commercial partnerships and applications in drug discovery.
