The adverse consequences of obesity are pleiotrophic for the mammalian organism. Animal models ofobesity that allow careful characterization of the pervasive metabolic effects of the disease are vital to thesuccess of our mission. To enhance research into the causes and consequences of obesity, we establisheda mouse phenotyping core. The primary goals of this core are to develop and provide standardized state-ofthe-art methods for the analysis of animal models of disease. The core applies the analytical expertise of tenlaboratories to provide histology, neuroanatomy, gene expression, mass spectrometry, physiology, lipid,glucose, metabokine, and behavioral assays. The core is directed by Russell, Elmquist, and Scherer and isstaffed by a dedicated team of skilled technicians who utilize existing equipment to perform optimized assayson samples provided by TORS investigators. Currently available assays include histological staining andantigen detection, in situ mRNA hybridization, real time reverse transcriptase-PCR, microarray analysis,laser capture microdissection, small molecule mass spectrometry and metabolite profiling, metabolic cageanalyses, complete lipid balance studies, magnetic resonance and computed tomography imaging, glucosetolerance and clamp analyses, serum hormone measurements, routine blood chemistries, exhaustivebehavioral analyses, and synaptic plasticity measurements in brain slices. As new research findings dictate,novel methodologies are developed and made available by the core. For each experiment, results arecollected, calculated, and compiled in electronic format and returned to submitting investigators. Theavailability of the services provided by this core accelerates the pace of our research, allows centralizedtroubleshooting, and facilitates the efficient utilization of existing expertise and resources. The mousephenotyping core is a crucial component of our Roadmap effort that brings together a diverse team ofscientists and clinicians to ensure that discoveries made in obesity research are rapidly translated intoadvances in patient care.
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