- Animal Model Research Core: The goal of the Animal Model Research (AMR) Core facility of the NORC is to facilitate the nutritional and obesity-related research of investigators using animal models to generate translational and hopefully transformational insight into human disease. Since its founding in 1999, the Core has continually evolved by modifying existing services, introducing new services, and providing extensive training to investigators in state- of-the-art techniques for animal phenotyping relevant to nutrition and obesity. We now focus on the following seven critical Core services: 1) Provision of mouse models relevant to nutritional and obesity research; 2) Biochemical analysis of serum samples; 3) Biochemical analysis of tissue lipids; 4) Molecular analyses of gene expression using quantitative RT-PCR; 5) Body composition analyses; 6) Energy metabolism and balance; and 7) Consultation and training. During this last funding period, the Core added a new Associate Director, hired a new lab manager, streamlined operations to allow ready access of crticial equipment to the user base, brought online new metabolic phenotyping (TSE Phenomaster) instrumentation and mRNA analysis instrumentation (both with supplemental institutional support), completely upgraded our body composition instrumentation (also with supplemental institutional support), and enhanced the training capabilites of the Core. These improvements attracted 20 new investigators to the Core, successfully assisted 15 Pilot and Feasibilty recipients in obtaining independent grant support, and helped fuel an impressive range of discovery research in nutrition/obesity, including studies of the microbiota in obesity and the role of nutrition in reproduction, lipid metabolism, atherosclerosis, and bone health. Through joint operations with the Mouse Phenotyping Core of the NIDDK-funded Diabetes Research Center (DRC) at Washington University, the Animal Model Core enjoys synergies through collaborative interactions, shared staff, volume discounts in reagents, and shared institutional investments to provide cost-effective and efficient services for NORC investigators.
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