Overview of Services

The Center for Agricultural and Life Sciences Metabolomics (CALM) is a fee-based analytical core facility providing comprehensive metabolite analysis across biological, agricultural, and environmental research domains. Using state-of-the-art liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC–MS and GC–MS), CALM delivers high-quality quantitative and qualitative metabolomic data for a wide range of sample types.

We routinely analyze diverse classes of small molecules and complex metabolites, including:

• Fatty acids, lipids, waxes, and cutin monomers — structural and signaling lipids central to energy storage, barrier function, and stress response.
• Amino acids, sugars, and organic acids — key intermediates of primary metabolism and biochemical pathways.
• Hormones, alkaloids, cannabinoids, and vitamins — regulatory, bioactive, and nutraceutical compounds relevant to health, development, and quality assessment.

CALM also offers custom method development for novel or specialized metabolites. Our team provides targeted and untargeted metabolomic profiling, data interpretation, and technical consultation, ensuring accurate, reproducible, and publication-ready results for every project.

Staffing

Dr. Pradeep Kachroo is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Kentucky. His research focuses on understanding how specific signaling pathways are activated during host–pathogen interactions, how these pathways communicate and coordinate immune responses, and the molecular, genetic, and biochemical mechanisms that regulate these processes. His work has advanced our understanding of plant defense signaling networks and their broader implications for crop resilience and sustainable agriculture.

Phone: 859-218-0729
e-mail: pk62@uky.edu

Keshun Yu, along with Pradeep Kachroo, is responsible for day-to-day operation of the facility. Keshun Yu has extensive experience in the design and implementation of analytical protocols for analyzing plant metabolites.

Phone: 859-218-0786
e-mail: kyu0@uky.edu

Huazhen Liu has extensive experience in the design and implementation of analytical protocols for analyzing plant and non-plant metabolites on LC, LC-MS and GC-MS platforms, including volatile profiling. She is also well versed with targeted and untargeted metabolomics.

e-mail: huazhen.liu@uky.edu

John K. Johnson helps maintain our instrumentation; he also develops and performs tests for standards and prepared samples in order to establish analytical programs for each metabolite and instrument pair.  Mr. Johnson is currently serving as a volunteer consultant.

e-mail: john.johnson@uky.edu

Dr. Aardra Kachroo is a Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky. Her research program studies local and systemic defense responses against viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens. On-going projects are focused on understanding role of chemical in local and systemic immunity, identifying and characterizing plant targets of microbial effectors and understanding the overlap in responses induced by pathogenic versus beneficial microorganisms. 

e-mail: aardra.kachroo@uky.edu

Sample Preparation

Sample preparation is a critical step in any analytical workflow and is tailored to both the type of sample and the metabolites of interest. Proper preparation ensures high-quality, reproducible data and optimal instrument performance.

CALM offers two options for completing this step:

1. Full Service by CALM
   Our laboratory can perform complete sample preparation on-site for an additional fee, ensuring consistency and quality control throughout the process.
2. Investigator-Prepared Samples
   Investigators may prepare their own samples prior to submission. In this case, CALM can:
   
   • Provide detailed sample preparation protocols and guidance, or
   • Offer hands-on training in specific preparation techniques to ensure best practices are followed.

Rates

The CALM provides high-quality analytical services at standardized rates for all users. Fees reflect instrument time, technical support, and data processing.

Instruments

• Six Agilent GC-MS systems, capable of EI and CI
• Markes Unity2 Thermal Adsorption
• Two Agilent GC systems fitted with Flame Ionization Detectors
• Agilent 1260 Infinity HPLC with UV, FLD, RI and ELSD Detectors
• Agilent 1290 Infinity II with 6546 quadrupole-time of light mass spectrometer
• Agilent 1290 Infinity III BIO-LC with 6495D Triple quadrupole
• Data Analysis Software: Agilent MassHunter Workstation for qualitative and quantitative analyses (Versions 13.0 and 12.2); Agilent Enhanced MassHunter Workstation (Version 12.3) for data acquisition; Mass Profiler Professional (Version 15.0), MassHunter Explorer 1.0, MassHunter Bioconfirm.

Center's Steering Committee

• Gang Chen (UK-Medical Center)
• Robert Hirsch (UK- Director Undergraduate education)
• Keshun Yu (UK- Lab Manager, CALM)
• Pat Calie (Eastern Kentucky University)
• Pradeep Kachroo (UK- Plant Pathology)