# Bioanalytical Core

> **NIH NIH P30** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $256,315

## Abstract

Project Summary – Bioanalytical Core 
The Bioanalytical Core Laboratory will provide state of the art and innovative bioanalytical expertise and 
techniques for the quantification of drugs and their metabolites, endogenous chemicals and other molecules of 
biological significance in new collaborative studies with the other cores in the center and all the funded drug 
abuse biomedical researchers at this and neighboring universities. These analyses will provide the expertise to 
perform new and innovative research and to enhance currently funded research projects in ways not anticipated 
at the time of their application submission. This core will accomplish these goals by making available reliable, 
validated mass spectrometric analysis of biological and non-biological materials for new projects as well as for 
NIH sponsored and other researchers studying the mechanism of action of abused substances and addiction. 
The laboratory will develop methods focused on the identification and quantification in biologic specimens of 
drugs and/or drug metabolites, such as cocaine, nicotine, cotinine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and, natural 
occurring psychoactive compounds such as nuciferine, apomorphine and mitragynine, as well as physiologically 
active small endogenous molecules and/or their metabolites such as anandamide, other endocannabinoids, 
prostamides and ceramide metabolites of sphingomelingolipids. These analyses will enhance the 
pharmacological studies of drugs of abuse by providing pharmacokinetic analysis including drug disposition, 
metabolism and clearance. The Bioanalytical Core will develop novel and innovative techniques for minimum 
sample preparation to allow rapid isolation and quantification of polar drug metabolites and glucuronide 
metabolites. We will expand on the breadth of types of small molecules including additional substances of abuse 
designer drugs (i.e., synthetic opioids, cannabimimetic, and cathinones), and their metabolites, a wider range of 
endogenous compounds which have similar pharmacological effects as drugs of abuse including 
endocannabinoids, peptides, lipids and other biological transmitters or signaling compounds. We will also 
enhance selectivity capabilities with differential ion mobility mass spectrometry (DMS) allowing us to increase 
our quantification of isobaric compounds, identify metabolites not seen before, and separation of ions of interest 
from interfering ions. Incorporating micro-extraction/sample preparation technologies and/or two-dimensional 
chromatographic separations combined with mass spectrometry (MS), DMS selectivity capability, will provide 
new dimensions to the research proposed of all drug abuse researchers on this campus and those in our 
neighboring institutions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10136563
- **Project number:** 5P30DA033934-08
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Matthew Sean Halquist
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $256,315
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2013-12-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10136563

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10136563, Bioanalytical Core (5P30DA033934-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10136563. Licensed CC0.

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