Botanical Research Core/David M. Ribnicky

BRC关于植物药物和代谢综合征的植物核心将促进所有研究项目、综合生物学核心(IBC)以及试点研究和培训计划的工作。植物学核心使用最先进的植物化学发现、表征、标准化和生产方法以及现代设备和温室设施来履行其任务，包括以下具体目标： 目的1.植物学核心通过提供具体的服务、生化工具和方法，支持每个研究项目、国际生物伦理委员会和试点研究的活动，包括：温室栽培来源植物和优化生物活性物质的生产，为中心的研究、临床前、临床和试点研究生产植物药物，以活性为导向分离生物活性物质及其相互作用的特征，为研究活动提供分析和结构化学支持，必要时进行质量控制和植物鉴定，并利用胃肠模型和血浆分析确定已确定的活性化合物的生物可获得性和生物可用性。 目的2.植物学核心与植物研究所和内部委员会合作，设计和执行实验并解释项目结果，协调植物栽培，根据植物试验的需要准备提取物、组分和化合物，开发加速试验的方法，将观察到的生物反应与生物可及性和生物利用度数据联系起来。 目的3.植物学核心协助设计和实施先导研究，并为生物植物学研究的新研究人员提供教育和培训，对拟议的先导研究所用植物材料的质量和来源提供具体建议和/或评估，并为研究人员和T32研究员提供所有必要的培训，这些研究人员和T32研究员需要评估和使用与代谢综合征相关的体外和体内模型的植物制剂的特殊技能。 目的4.植物学核心开展原创研究，目标如下：改进正在进行的项目的材料、方法和工具，在推进新项目时创造有利的办法，并继续筛选和确定新的候选者和未来项目。

The Botanical Core of the BRC on Botanicals and Metabolic Syndrome will facilitate the work of all Research Projects, the Integrative Biology Core (IBC) and the Pilot Research and Training Programs. The Botanical Core uses state-of-the-art phytochemical discovery, characterization, standardization and production approaches and modem equipment and greenhouse facilities to perform its mission which include the following specific aims: Aim 1. The Botanical Core supports the activities of each research project, the IBC and the pilot studies by providing specific services, biochemical tools and methods including: greenhouse-based cultivation of source plants and optimized production of bioactives, production of botanicals for the Center's research, pre-clinical, clinical and pilot studies, activity-guided isolation of bioactives and characterization of their interactions, analytical and structural chemistry support for the research activities, quality control and botanical authentication when necessary and determination of the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of identified active compounds using a gastrointestinal model and plasma analysis. Aim 2. The Botanical Core collaborates with PIs and with intemal committees to design and perform the experiments and to interpret the results from projects, coordinate plant cultivation, preparation of extracts, fractions and compounds with the PIs' needs for biological testing, develop methods for expedited testing, relate observed biological response to bioaccessibility and bioavailability data. Aim 3. The Botanical Core assists in design and conduct of pilot studies and in the education and training of new investigators for biobotanical research, provides specific recommendations and/or evaluations of the quality and sourcing of botanical materials to be used for proposed pilot studies and provides all necessary training to investigators and T32 fellows requiring specific skills for the evaluation and use of botanical preparations for in vitro and in vivo models related to metabolic syndrome. Aim 4. The Botanical Core conducts original research with the following objectives: improve materials, methods and instruments for ongoing projects, create enabling approaches in the advance of new projects, and to continue to screen and identify new candidates and future projects.