ANIMAL STUDIES COREI. OVERVIEW OF CHANGES TO THE COREDuring the current funding cycle, the Animal Studies Core has been revised with respect both to itsorganizational structure and to the scope and sophistication of services offered to Affiliate Investigators. Thesechanges have been made possible, in part, through a major increase of institutional commitment in support ofthe Core's various functions and due to the changing needs of Affiliate Investigators. The following summaryhighlights these changes: Organizational changes. Prior to this competing renewal, the CNRU supported basic animal researchthrough two distinct Core laboratories - the Rodent Energy Metabolism and Body Composition Core (Dr.Michael Schwartz, Director) and the Nutrient Gene Core (Dr. Renee LeBoeuf, Director). To better meet theneeds of Affiliate Investigators (and in response to input from our External Advisory Board), these two Corelaboratories are now merged into a single entity termed the 'Animal Studies Core', with Dr. Schwartzserving as Director, Dr. LeBoeuf as Co-Director, and Dr. Gregory Morton as Associate Director. Institutional commitment. To meet expanding demand for Core services, and in conjunction with theimplementation of the new NIH-funded Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center (MMPC), the University ofWashington School of Medicine has committed new, state-of-the-art research space and animal housingspace within its newest biomedical research facility located at the South Lake Union (SLU) campus indowntown Seattle. Institutional funds have also been committed by UW in support of this program, assummarized below: Research space. Included is an approximate doubling of space for metabolic cage studies,expanding this resource from its current size (8 mouse and 4 rat cages; total of 12 cages) toaccommodate 16 cages for rats and 16 for mice (total of 32 cages). New wet lab space will alsobe made available both for surgical procedures (e.g., implantation of body temperature monitorand chronic indwelling venous and arterial line insertion) and in vivo study procedures (e.g.,glucose clamp studies), reflecting an overall marked expansion of research space committed tothe Animal Studies Core. (Equipment funds are requested to support this expansion; see AnimalStudies Core Budget.) Adjacent animal housing space. In addition to wet lab space, new animal housing quarters willbe installed adjacent to the Animal Studies Core laboratory, allowing study animals receivedfrom Affiliate Investigators to be boarded until such time as studies are performed, averting thepotential risk to animals located in the regular animal housing area, one floor below the Corelaboratory. Creation of a new UW Obesity/Diabetes Center of Excellence, based at the SLU campus. Akey priority of this Center will be to meet current and future animal research needs ofinvestigators involved in obesity research. Additional priorities include support for juniorinvestigators, additional pilot and feasibility funding, and promotion of interdisciplinary researchacross programs, departments and schools both within and outside of UW. Transfer of some services to the Analytic Core. During previous funding cycles, the NutrientGene Core participated in limited numbers of microassays of proteins, lipids, andcarbohydrates, which now has largely been taken over by the Analytic Core. However, staff ofthe Genetics Component of the Animal Studies Core will continue to teach and advise withrespect to quantification of mRNA species, thereby enabling Affiliate Investigators to set upappropriate tests in their own laboratory. Techniques include mRNA isolation from adipose andother tissues.Services offered directly by the Animal Studies Core are:Physiology Component (Dr. Morton, Associate Director): indirect calorimetry (e.g., metabolic rate, heat production) locomotor activity/total physical activity meal pattern analysis/continuous measures of total daily food and water intake continuous body temperature monitoring noninvasive body composition analysis biopsy sample triglyceride content euglycemic glucose clampGenetics Component (Dr. LeBoeuf, Director): genotyping of mutant models breeding strategy for mouse colonies quantitative PCR of mRNA in tissue samples Meal preparation for nutritional interventions Bone marrow transplantation proceduresServices offered indirectly via affiliated cores, with the Animal Studies Core serving as a conduit are: Diabetes complications (microvascular, macrovascular, cardiac) Molecular biology (gene sequencing, riboprobe preparation) Insulin secretion/islet morphology Creation of transgenic miceThese services will be performed on a fee-for-service basis by the Diabetes Endocrinology Research Center(DERC), the new Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center (MMPC), and the Center for Ecogenetics andEnvironmental Health (CEEH). Arrangements have been made with these Centers (see letters ofcollaboration) for CNRU Affiliate Investigators to have access to the services noted above.
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