Collaborative Research: IIBR Instrumentation: A continuous metabolite sensor for lab and field studies

加州大学欧文分校被授予开发一种植入式探头和记录器，该探头和记录器可以连续测量自由活动的野生动物和实验室动物的乳酸。乳酸在体内发挥着许多关键作用，包括作为应激反应信号、燃料来源、信号分子以及海洋哺乳动物在运动中达到最大耗氧量或达到有氧潜水极限的指标。尽管乳酸很重要，但在自由活动的动物身上从来没有连续测量过。该设备还将测量氧气、葡萄糖和温度，研究人员可以在野外或受控的实验室条件下，连续测量活动、休息、潜水或冬眠动物的乳酸和其他变量。这一新设备将消除调查人员在场的影响，因为可植入的探头可以连接到背包记录器上，允许动物自由移动。该项目将促进来自三个不同机构的生物工程师和生物学家之间的跨学科合作，并为博士和本科生以及一名博士后提供跨学科的科学培训。利用该设备的开发作为一种教学工具，该项目将与一个非营利性组织合作，通过暑期课程为服务不足的高中生提供独特的乐器开发培训。这个创新项目将使用专门的化学配方和光传感技术来开发直径0.7 mm的灵活探头，提供高精度、快速和连续的关键参数测量，包括乳酸和葡萄糖。由于每个传感器都基于相同的测量设计，用户可以针对他们的研究问题选择特定的传感器，从而为将被广泛研究人员使用的设备提供所需的灵活性。为了确保探头在不同实验或条件下的功能，将对其进行验证，以满足响应时间、准确性、信号稳定性、灵敏度、精密度和生物兼容性的特定标准。它还将在不同的动物模型和环境条件下进行测试，以确保其适用于不同的研究地点、实验和动物模型。持续监测氧气和乳酸水平将提供更清晰和更全面的图像，了解氧气消耗、向组织的氧气输送、乳酸积累和乳酸恢复，以应对各种生理挑战和应激源。这将是许多NSF生物学研究社区的重大技术突破，包括生理学、生态学、能量学、保护生物学和运动科学。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An award is made to the University of California Irvine to develop an implantable probe and recorder that continuously measures lactate in freely-moving wild animals and animals in the laboratory. Lactate plays many key roles in the body, including as a stress response signal, a fuel source, a signaling molecule and an indication of reaching maximum oxygen consumption during exercise or reaching the limit of aerobic diving in marine mammals. Despite its importance, lactate has never been continuously measured in freely-moving animals. With this device, which will also measure oxygen, glucose and temperature, researchers can continuously measure lactate and other variables in active, resting, diving or hibernating animals in the field or under controlled laboratory conditions. This new device will eliminate the impacts of having an investigator present since the implantable probe can be attached to a backpack recorder, allowing free movement of animals. The project will foster interdisciplinary collaborations between bioengineers and biologists from three different institutions and provide interdisciplinary scientific training for Ph.D. and undergraduate students and a postdoctoral fellow. Using the development of this device as a teaching tool, this project will provide unique training through a summer course on instrument development for underserved high school students in partnership with a non-profit organization. This innovation project will use specialized chemical formulations and light sensing technology to develop a 0.7 mm diameter, flexible probe that provides highly accurate, rapid and continuous measurements of key parameters, including lactate and glucose. Because each sensor is based on the same measurement design, users can choose sensors specific to their research questions, providing the flexibility required for a device that will be used by a wide-range of researchers. To ensure the probe’s function for different experiments or conditions, it will be validated to meet specific criteria for response time, accuracy, signal stability, sensitivity, precision and biocompatibility. It will also be tested in different animal models and environmental conditions to ensure its applicability to a diverse range of study sites, experiments and animal models. Continuous monitoring of oxygen and lactate levels will provide a clearer and more comprehensive picture of oxygen consumption, oxygen delivery to the tissues, lactate accumulation and lactate recovery in response to varied physiological challenges and stressors. This will be a major technological breakthrough for a number of NSF biology research communities, including physiology, ecology, energetics, conservation biology and exercise science.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.