The Genomics Core of the U19 will provide state-of-the-art transcriptomics, small transcriptomics and exosome transcriptomics analysis support for organ and cell systems investigated in the three projects: brain (Project 1); heart (Project 2); and liver and skeletal muscle (Project 3). All methodologies and analysis tools proposed for the Core are routinely used and well-established. Specifically, the Genomics Core will provide the following analyses: RNA Analysis: Transcriptomic studies and analyses of coding RNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) will be performed on tissues and cells specific to each project. microRNA Analysis: microRNAs (miRNAs) and other small regulatory RNAs will be isolated from tissues and cells from the three projects. In addition, exosome analysis will be used to determine whether circulating exosome microRNAs (miRNAs) correlate with changes observed in target tissues and cells in the three Projects. The Genomics Core will also provide integrated analysis of results to establish the role of transcript variation, including coding and non-coding RNAs, in normal aging (normal life course, NLC), aging in intrauterine growth restricted offspring (IUGR) and offspring of maternal obesity during pregnancy (MO) in baboon tissues or cells for each Project, as well as for tissues and cells in corticol replacement intervention (CRI) baboons. The Core will also assist the Projects in identifying coordinated molecular networks responsive to aging in these four animal cohorts, and identify central hubs regulating these networks. Network tools will be used to integrate multiple datasets (e.g., miRNA and mRNA) into high-dimensional networks as a first step to develop a systems analysis of the aging nonhuman primate (NHP). All three projects will use the services of the Genomics Core. Our synergistic approach analyzing samples using the same method for all three projects allows multiplexing of samples for analysis, minimizing reagent costs and reducing analysis artifacts. In addition, this approach allows for integration of ?omics? data for the all tissues analyzed, which will provide a first look at the ?systems? response to aging in the five baboon cohorts.
