The Molecular Phenotyping Core will provide analytical tools to the MNORC investigators to elucidate molecular mechanisms of disease relevant to obesity and nutritional disorders including structural identification and quantification of metabolites, epigenetics, optogenetics and perform functional metabolic studies. In addition to providing instrumental infrastructure, the Core staff will provide consultation and collaboration to apply metabolomic, epigenetic and optogenetic platforms in nutrition and obesity research. Where needed, the Core laboratories will assist in development of new analytical methods to meet the research objectives of the investigators. The Molecular Phenotyping Core will optimize the efficiency and cost-effectiveness by providing these services to MNORC investigators through a centralized laboratory. This avoids the need for individual investigators to purchase and maintain high priced instrumentation in their own laboratories and avoids the high cost of commercial analytical services. In the past five years the core has provided standardized analytical techniques for the analysis of small molecule metabolites such as amino acid, lipid and nucleic acid metabolites in samples from murine, rodent and human tissues, plasma, and urine, and cultured cells. New offerings include epigenetic and optogenetic services which will enhance the offerings available for the MNORC investigators. Emphasis will also be placed on fulfilling the needs of Investigators of the MNORC which will aim to maximize benefits from the power of molecular analysis. We are particularly interested in addressing three areas of need: first, applying the unique sensitivity and specificity of molecular phenotyping techniques to broaden understanding of nutritional disorders; second, the development of innovative techniques for the detection and structural elucidation of nutrition-related biomolecules; and three, providing training for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with an interest in nutrition research. By centralizing and standardizing procedures, the Core provides a common set of analytical tools that will lead to a unified understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in physiologic and pathophysiologic processes underlying obesity and other nutrition related disorders.
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