Animal Metabolic Physiology Core

Animal Metabolic Physiology Core: Project Summary/Abstract The Animal Metabolic Physiological Core (AMPC) is a new Vanderbilt Diabetes Research Center (VDRC) Core. In prior VDRC cycles, mouse services for VDRC investigators had been provided by the Vanderbilt Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center (MMPC; U24 DK059637). The Vanderbilt MMPC, an original and continuous participant in the national MMPC national program, has been on the forefront of development, standardization, and dissemination of techniques to study metabolism in mice for 20 years. NIDDK will retire the national MMPC Program in June 2021. At the time this was announced, the VDRC was engaged in strategic planning for its competitive renewal. VDRC investigators expressed concern as to how funded grants could be executed and new scientific projects developed without these mouse services. Thus, the VDRC proposes to create the AMPC to make these mouse services available to VDRC investigators. The rationale for the AMPC is based on overwhelming feedback from VDRC investigators expressing a need to continue the sophisticated mouse services that had been so impactful in their research (54 VDRC users, >24,000 services, 98 publications used this type of service in past 5 years). The AMPC will provide state-of-the-art research techniques and expert guidance in integrative metabolic physiology to VDRC investigators. The AMPC services and expensive equipment that will be made available through the AMPC are impractical to develop or acquire and maintain in the lab of an individual investigator. Plus, the AMPC’s expertise and services overcome barriers to studying the mouse and are highly integrated with VDRC services provided by the Analytical Services Core, the Genomics and Human Physiology Core, and the Islet and Pancreas Analysis Core. The AMPC will have an important role in training of fellows, students and staff which will serve to propagate valuable concepts and technology. Thus, the AMPC and its services are vital to address the research aims of funded grants and for the development of new scientific projects for VDRC investigators.