Metabolic & Molecular Physiology

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NIH-initiated efforts to centralize expertise, instrumentation, and facilities to promote comprehensive evaluation of genetically engineered mice, tissues and cells has improved our understanding of functional genomics and disease pathobiology. The Metabolic and Molecular Physiology Core (MMPC) provides investigators at UCSD, UCLA, and their affiliated institutions with a series of state-of-the-art and cost effective molecular and physiological assays not readily available from national phenotyping centers. The MMPC is divided into four sub-cores: A) Insulin sensitivity and metabolic homeostasis, B) Oxidative metabolism in animals and tissues, C) Mitochondrial biology and metabolism in cells, and D) Inflammatory signaling and diabetes complications, and each sub-core offers extensive training and consultation on a variety of topics from experimental design to data interpretation and integration. Specifically, the MMPC provides services to assess: movement, feeding behavior, indirect calorimetry, body composition, glucose/insulin tolerance, insulin action (ex vivo, in situ, and in vivo), substrate metabolism and oxidative capacity, mitochondrial function and morphology, circulating hormones / adipokines / cytokines, and diabetes complications. The MMPC maintains a tissue bio-bank as well as a comprehensive database of phenotypic outcomes for a wide variety of genetically engineered mice and standard protocols for a vast number of phenotyping techniques. The MMPC leadership includes top investigators from the fields of integrative metabolism, nuclear receptor biology, mitochondrial function and architecture, and inflammation including: Andrea Hevener, Orian Shirihai, Peter Tontonoz, and Karen Reue. Strengths of the MMPC include the well-rounded and complementary expertise of its leadership, an exceptional track record of research productivity, and high impact scientific publications. The collaborative spirit of the MMPC team fosters a collegial environment and supports service well- coordinated with other DRC cores and institutional resources. The central goal of the MMPC is to advance the scientific capabilities of the DRC membership in leading-edge metabolic analyses and improve overall research quality with enhanced translation of research ideas from cells, tissues, and mice to (wo)man.