SPECIALLY COLLECTED PAPERS
Shimadzu Review 82[3・4] (2026)
Abstract
Lipids play a critical role in maintaining health and disruption of lipid homeostasis is associated with a range of diseases. This has led to a growing interest in lipidomics, the comprehensive analysis of lipid species at the molecular level. However, the vast structural diversity of lipids and their wide range of concentrations in biological systems pose numerous technical challenges that hinder standardization in lipid analysis and prevent data equivalence between institutions. To address these challenges, we have launched a collaborative project involving Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kyushu University, and Shimadzu Corporation to establish an integrated lipid analysis platform. Blood lipids have been grouped into three analytical zones—major lipid classes (Zone 1), oxylipins (Zone 2), and sterol lipids (Zone 3)—and widely-targeted LC-MS and SFC-MS methods have been developed for each zone. This project has also developed an automated sample preparation unit, successfully automating the entire workflow from sample preparation to LC-MS and SFC-MS analysis to create a seamless process with quantitative performance and reproducibility equivalent to a skilled analyst. Further development of this integrated lipid analysis platform promises to ensure data equivalence and facilitate data sharing between institutions, even by users with little experience in lipidomics, and streamline research in this field. The automated technologies developed by this project can also be used in metabolomics and other omics fields, helping to develop automated multi-omics applications for medicine, public health, and other sectors.
1Healthcare Solution Unit, Solutions COE, Analytical & Measuring Instruments Division, Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan
2Lab Mechanics Business Unit, Analytical & Measuring Instruments Division, Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan
3Shimadzu (China) Co., LTD. Beijing, China
4Shimadzu General Services Inc. Kyoto, Japan
5Solutions COE, Analytical & Measuring Instruments Division, Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan
6Center for Research Promotion, School of Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
7Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
8Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Chiba, Japan
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