Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence in Basic Biology of Aging

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案中描述的圣安东尼奥内森休克衰老中心的核心前提是，通过研究显示寿命延长的动物模型，可以最好地确定衰老的生物学机制。我们的中心将致力于为研究人员提供最先进的科学基础设施，资源，服务和独特的动物模型，这些模型是研究长寿哺乳动物模型中衰老基础生物学相关问题所必需的。 圣安东尼奥内森休克老化中心的具体目标如下： 1.为研究衰老的研究者提供感兴趣的哺乳动物模型。衰老动物和寿命评估核心将为研究者提供各种与衰老相关的啮齿动物模型，例如，转基因/营养/药理学操作，以及衰老核心的比较生物学将为研究人员提供具有特别长寿命的哺乳动物物种。 2.提供服务/资源，使研究者能够研究被认为在啮齿动物衰老中发挥作用的各种分子和生理过程。病理学、氧化损伤和线粒体功能、健康跨度和功能评估以及研发核心将为研究者提供独特的资源/服务，用于表征各种操作对整个动物、组织或细胞衰老的影响。此外，行政/项目充实核心将为研究者提供数据管理和统计分析支持。 3.协助教职员发展老化研究计划。研究发展核心将为新的老龄化研究人员提供试点赠款和导师，以开发老龄化研究项目，这些项目可以成功地从联邦和私人来源获得研究赠款。 4.行政/计划充实核心将提供必要的行政支持，以加强圣安东尼奥的研究环境，并鼓励在圣安东尼奥以及其他内森休克中心和机构的研究人员之间的老龄化合作研究。在过去的5年里，圣安东尼奥内森休克衰老中心已经为103名研究人员提供了服务，这些研究人员中有30%来自其他研究机构。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The central premise underlying the San Antonio Nathan Shock Aging Center described in this proposal is that identifying the biological mechanisms underlying aging can best be achieved by studying animal models that show enhanced longevity. Our Center will focus its effort on providing investigators with State-of-the-art scientific infrastructure, resources, services, and unique animal models that are required in studying pertinent questions to the basic biology of aging in mammalian models of enhanced longevity. The Specific Objectives of the San Antonio Nathan Shock Aging Center are as follows: 1. To provide mammalian models of interest to investigators studying aging. The Aging Animal and Longevity Assessment Core will provide investigators with various rodent models of interest to aging, e.g., transgenic/nutritional/pharmacological manipulations, and the Comparative Biology of Aging Core will provide investigators with mammalian species with exceptionally long lifespans. 2. To provide services/resources that will allow investigators to study various molecular and physiological processes believed to play a role in aging in rodents. The Pathology, Oxidative Damage and Mitochondrial Function, Healthspan and Functional Assessment, and Research Development Cores will provide investigators with unique resources/services used to characterize the effect of the various manipulations on aging in whole animals, tissues, or cells. In addition, the Administrative/ Program Enrichment Core will provide investigators with support for data management and statistical analyses. 3. To provide assistance to faculty for developing research programs in aging. The Research Development Core will provide investigators new to aging with pilot grants and mentors to develop research programs in aging that can successfully compete for research grants from federal and private sources. 4. The Administrative/Program Enrichment Core will provide the administrative support necessary to enhance the research environment in San Antonio and to encourage collaborative research on aging among investigators at San Antonio as well as other Nathan Shock Centers and institutions. Over the past 5 years, the San Antonio Nathan Shock Aging Center has provided services to 103 investigators, and 30% of these investigators are from other research institutions.