Services

SiDMAP services do not just begin with a signed contract. From the moment we receive an initial inquiry from a prospective client, or a request for a follow-up study from an existing client, SiDMAP stands ready to advise you on all aspects of your tracer-based metabolomic study.

Most discussions between SiDMAP and prospective clients or research collaborator begin with a phone call or e-mail inquiry. Discussions usually proceed through the proposal and agreement approval process without need for in-person meetings. Although not usually necessary, prospective clients may arrange an initial meeting with SiDMAP when drug development programs involve a large number of scientists (and clinicians, for translational studies), who will participate in discussions regarding study design, conduct, and interpretation.

1) The Proposal Process

SiDMAP designs customized stable isotope tracer studies through a consultative process involving direct, colleagial interaction between SiDMAP’s senior scientists and researchers in industry and academia.

Initial client inquiries made to a member of our scientific or business development team are typically followed by an introductory dialogue, under confidentiality agreement when appropriate, and conducted via one-on-one phone call, multi-participant conference call, or exchange of e-mails. It can be helpful for the prospective client to provide SiDMAP with relevant scientific publications, research protocols, or data to facilitate discussions. In turn, SiDMAP may e-mail relevant SiDMAP publications to prospective clients, or provide referrals and links to sample data, reports, and publications found on the SiDMAP web site.

Once it is agreed that the prospective client would like SiDMAP to prepare a written proposal, SiDMAP will e-mail a two-page Proposal Worksheet (a Word file) to the person identified as the propspective client’s key contact. The Proposal Worksheet requests essential study details, such as type of cell line, animal model, or human subjects; number of cell lines, animals or human subjects to be studied; number of time points, number of compounds to be tested, types of metabolites to be reported, etc.  Worksheets should be prepared to the best of the client’s knowledge. SiDMAP will help to answer questions, clarify uncertainties, and fill in missing information.

Once the Proposal Worksheet is completed and returned, SiDMAP scientists and business development team members will prepare a written proposal, including study design, assignment of responsibilities, deliverables, timeline, and budget, plus appendices, including a FAQ list, examples of report formats, and illustrations of  metabolic pathways to be studied.

Once approved by the client, the SiDMAP proposal will become a part of the Master Services Agreement between SiDMAP and the client.

2) Project Services and Deliverables

Once SiDMAP and the client have executed a Master Services Agreement and ordered the necessary quantity of tracer istope, it is typically the responsibiilty of the client to conduct the in vitro or in vivo experiment described in the protocol. The client then extracts sample materials as specified in the protocol (from cells, organs, tissues, bodily fluids), preserves and stores the samples as instructed by SiDMAP, and ships the samples to SiDMAP for analysis.

For the majority of projects, SiDMAP services and deliverables include:

• Pre-study consultation and protocol design
• Stable isotope ordering, compounding
• Shipment (third-party isotope supplier; some clients may order directly from the supplier)
• Intake, logging, preparation of study samples
• Laboratory analysis of study sample preps
• Uploading and conversion of raw data from lab instruments to the SiDMAP Informatics Platform
• Quantitative analysis of specially formatted study data
• Report preparation, including the SiDMAP Master Data Interface, SiDMAP Array, Metabolic Animations, and Written Interpretations
• Electronic delivery of interim and final results, via the Master Data Interface
• In-service and post-study consultation