Our Vision
Our vision at TrichAnalytics is to lead a global movement towards the regulation of preventative and non-invasive methods of micro-analysis in order to find long-term solutions to environmental and occupational health challenges.
About Us
At TrichAnalytics, our priority is improving environmental and occupational health. We aim to achieve this through our commitment to:
- Scientific excellence using certified analytical methods
- Environmental sustainability
- Innovative research and development
- Dedicated customer service
TrichAnalytics Inc. was founded by Dr. Jennie Christensen in 2016 and is located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Jennie has been a toxicologist, researcher, and consultant in the environmental services sector for over 20 years. Our state-of-the-art laboratory uses a custom-made laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) combination that allows us to carry out microscopic analysis for characterizing elemental/metal concentrations in a variety of biological tissues.
Our unique analytical techniques using a micro-laser allows us to assess elemental/metal concentrations in microscopic tissue samples, creating opportunities for less invasive and non-lethal monitoring programs.
At TrichAnalytics Inc., we are committed to high quality laboratory analysis and bespoke client service. Our Quality Management System (QMS) follows international standards and is accredited with ISO/IEC 17025 through the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA) for Scope of Testing.
Other innovative aspects About Us include:
- Use micro-sized lasers to analyze biological tissues
- Require extremely small tissue weight (~10 mg) for analysis (e.g., one hair, biopsy plugs) – no need for bulk sampling, and increases chance for completely non-lethal and non-invasive sampling
- Create no (toxic) waste from our analysis process
- Analysis is very fast – clients receive quicker turnaround times for their results
- Can obtain hundreds to thousands of concentrations of each element, e.g., one single hair
- Specialize in “growing” tissues, so temporal changes (e.g., hourly, daily, seasonally) in elemental/metal exposure can be determined for a species – using a single tissue (e.g., hair) we can go back in time to tell the story of heavy metal exposure – when, how much, what metal(s), comparability to reference, temporal changes, durations, etc., of the exposure
- Create two- and three-dimensional elemental heat maps of your sample (e.g., depth profiling of fingernail clippings)
Environmental
On our planet, we are constantly facing very large and complex environmental health issues; our approach to monitoring these issues is from a microscopic scale. Under a microscope, a seemingly invisible world comes to life and can shed vast illumination on metal accumulation in our wildlife living in contaminated environments and show how that can have a significant impact on their health.
Otoliths
Otoliths are calcified ear stones that grow over the lifespan of the fish and can, therefore, represent changes occurring during its life. These tissues can monitor: 1) occurrence and timing of migration in anadromous fish species; 2) how the introduction of mine effluent has influenced metal concentrations in local fish populations; 3) the effectiveness of water treatment on aquatic ecosystems by comparing pre-treatment with posttreatment portions of the growth structure; and 4) migration over time within fresh water river systems (e.g., natal, first summer).
Sample Volume Required: single otolith, minimum 0.5 mm diameter
Preservation: send in small vial or envelope
Typical Turnaround Time: less than 2 weeks
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The laser runs along the growth axis from edge to core to edge.
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Core of the otolith represents the maternal signal.
Fish Finrays & Scales
Finrays and scales are a non-lethal way to obtain chronological health and migratory information about a fish. These tissues grow throughout the fishes’ lives, similar to tree rings, and while are analyzed using similar approaches as otoliths, they can provide different information on some of the elemental changes over time due to differing structural chemistry. For example, finrays accumulate copper to a greater extent than otoliths, and scale accumulate mercury to a greater extent than both finrays and otoliths due to their high sulphur content.
Sample Volume Required: single finray or scale removed from fish
Preservation: send in small vial or envelope
Typical Turnaround Time: less than 2 weeks
Hair & Whiskers
Hair is a treasure chest of information on health and diet that can only be truly revealed through laser analysis. TrichAnalytics Inc. requires only a single hair to obtain precise elemental and metal concentrations over time, which reflects the changes occurring in the diet and habitat of wildlife species. Hair analysis can replace the need for invasive tissue sampling of wildlife. Hair can be obtained non-lethally, non-invasively, and more safely, and yet provide much more information than what a lethally-collected muscle tissue sample can provide. By scanning the hair’s length using laser ablation, we can reveal those temporal changes in elements and metals in time increments of hours, days, weeks, and/or months.
Click here to check out our story on grizzly bear hair and how zinc and copper changes along the hair strand reveal their seasonal diet and exposure to toxic metals, such as mercury.
Invertebrates
Invertebrates are important aquatic organisms in environmental monitoring programs. Due to their small size, metal uptake in individuals has not been possible to determine using conventional analysis. Usually, 100s of individuals require homogenization to obtain only one metal concentration. However, with our unique methods using micro-laser technology we are able to obtain metal concentrations for individual invertebrates, or we can homogenize a few smaller invertebrates (<20 mg total tissue). No other commercial laboratory can do this analysis with conventional methods without compromising on detection limits. Sample Volume Required: minimum 20 mg (wet weight), single larger individual Preservation: send frozen in small vial Typical Turnaround Time: less than 2 weeks
Algae & Periphyton
The incredible unique elemental/metal analysis of the microscopic world has the potential to really disrupt the way environmental monitoring programs are designed and carried out. Our small sample volume requirements, like those of algae, allow for a significant reduction in time for sample collection in the field. And because sample preparation is so minimal, with no chemicals used, results can be provided to our clients faster and at greater cost savings.
Sample Volume Required: minimum 1 mL or 20 mg (wet weight)
Preservation: send frozen in small vial
Typical Turnaround Time: less than 2 weeks
Feathers
Like nails and hair, bird feathers are a keratinous tissue that grows. As such, when feathers grow they will record the chronological elemental changes occurring in the blood over time – for e.g., changes arising from seasonal diet, migration, and/or feeding within a contaminated site. Using laser ablation ICP-MS we are able to extract the story of metal exposure in birds in a non-lethal or non-invasive way by using feathers, rather than invasive blood, eggs or tissue.
Soft Tissue
TrichAnalytics Inc. has developed a unique way to analyze soft tissues with significantly lower volumes compared to other labs. This can translate to non-lethal sampling (e.g., biopsy plugs) for environmental monitoring programs, which is promoted by the Metal Mining Technical Guidance Document for Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM). While we ask for approximately 20 mg of tissue, we actually only analyze <1 mg. We use Certified Reference Material to calibrate the tissue samples. Our detection limits, cost, and turn-around time are competitive with any commercial lab. Sample Volume Required: minimum <20 mg (wet weight), small biopsy plug Preservation: send frozen in small vial Typical Turnaround Time: less than 2 weeks
Technical Advisory Services
The TrichAnalytics Inc. team prides itself on excellent client service and technical support. It is important that the analytical results we provide help support a successful project and address project objectives in the most effective and efficient way possible.
Therefore, in addition to our analytical expertise, the TrichAnalytics Inc. team is happy to support your projects in other ways that promote success. These services include:
- Study design support to clients/consultants regarding tissue metal analysis
- Data and statistical analysis of tissue metal concentrations and toxicological relevance
- Interpretation of results and report preparation
Occupational
Hair Screening Tool for Metal Exposure in the Work Place
TrichAnalytics Inc. specializes in a unique type of hair analysis for metal exposure. We require only a single hair per individual, which is easily and painlessly plucked from the scalp. Our advanced micro-laser technology analyzes a very tiny portion of the hair strand (<0.05 mm) below the scalp to reflect recent exposure and avoids complications associated with external contamination by metals that artificially elevate concentrations in the exposed portions of the hair strand. As collection and analysis of this single hair is so quick and requires very little sample preparation and preservation, analytical results can be provided within a short turn-around time (< 1 week) and costs are inexpensive. No other commercial lab in the world currently conducts this type of analysis. Contact us today to find out how a single hair can help improve health and safety the workplace.
For more information, please refer to Dr. Christensen’s article: Laser Study on 170-Year-Old Thumbnail Re-Writes History of Franklin Expedition.
The hair screening tool for metals should not be used as a diagnostic tool.
Nutritional
TrichAnalytics Inc. has recently opened its nutritional branch called Theío Vitality based in Paris, France.
Using an innovative method of hair mineral analysis, Theío Vitality’s service will be two-fold. First and foremost, it will address concerns regarding elemental balance and a potential need to change diet, certain lifestyle choices and/or nutritional supplement regimes.
Second, it will focus specifically on hair (and nail) health by providing physiological information about the hair and its potential to be improved.
For those interested in ordering a hair mineral analysis kit, please contact us directly.
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