The National Center for Metabolic Phenotyping of Mouse Models of Obesity and Diabetes (MPMOD) at UC Davis

Enter the text here that is the new abstract information for your application. This section must be no longer than 30 lines of text. Translational research in vivo using genetic, surgical, humanized, and other types of mouse models are needed to decipher the heterogeneity of diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic disorders. To address this need, UC Davis proposes the creation of a Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center (MMPC)Live. The MMPCLive Center will provide the national diabetes and obesity research communities access to specialized and advanced resources to assess mouse models using unique and complex tests and procedures. Researchers will have access to experienced scientific and technical experts for consultation and advice on experimental design, test selection, outcomes measures, and interpretation. Center staff have extensive experience serving the research community for the last 10 years providing in vivo services to produce and analyze live mice for diabetes and obesity research. The Center has robust infrastructure to offer many novel and innovative approaches to provide the research community with high quality metabolic, physiologic, and behavioral phenotyping services in vivo to characterize the etiology, pathogenesis, and consequences of diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic disorders. The Center will consist of an Administrative Core, Animal Care Core, and two in vivo phenotyping cores. The Metabolism and Metabolic Health Core will offer metabolic phenotyping tests and innovative approaches (e.g., PET imaging, continuous glucose monitoring, sophisticated energy balance measures, xenometabolomics) to reveal subtle shifts in macronutrient metabolism, energy intake and feeding behaviors, energy expenditure and metabolic efficiency. The Physiology and Behavior Core will provide in-depth assessments of organ and whole-animal physiology (cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, renal, respiratory, ocular, and neurological) and neurobehavioral assessment of exercise behavior, sleep, learning and memory, anxiety, depression and stress, and motor function relevant to diabetes and obesity. Each of the Cores will have a Scientific Leader and co-Leader, Core Coordinator, and Technical Specialists to conduct experiments. Numerous Scientific Consultants affiliated with each Core will be available to offer expert advice on experimental design, test selection, and data interpretation, and provide novel and complex tests and procedures upon request. Services will be offered at reasonable cost to all users who will be afforded equal service priority whether from inside UC Davis or an outside institution. The Center will reinvest program income to develop new testing technologies, enhance service offerings, and support Center operations activities not funded by the grant.