Volatile metabolic biomarker discovery in breast cancer models

This thesis contributes identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released via metabolic mechanisms involved in disease and offers increased precision and accuracy in breath diagnostics. By quantifying VOC consumption and production in response to serum, glucose and oxygen starvation, more accurate identification of specific VOC signatures is made possible.

Chapter 1 explores previously published VOC research and identifies VOC chemical functional groups associated with disease. Chapter 2 applies novel methodology of VOC sampling over time in static head space chambers to establish VOC metabolic flux in a number of cell types and in the breath of mice. Chapter 3 develops the method from chapter 2 to study VOC response from breast cancer cells in low oxygen conditions. Chapter 4 develops the research of chapters 2 and 3 to link VOC fluctuations to cellular response to serum, glucose and oxygen starvation.