Mouse Body Composition, Food Intake, and Metabolism Facility

The Mouse Metabolism Core is now on iLab. If you are a current user or would like to request services, please visit our iLab site.

Core users are required to acknowledge the core in their publications as follows: "Experiments in this study were performed at the UCSF Mouse Metabolism core which is supported by UCSF NORC (NIH P30DK098722)

The objectives of the Nutrition and Obesity Research Center (NORC) metabolic core is to facilitate metabolic studies at UCSF. There is an increasing number of investigators conducting research in obesity and metabolic diseases, and adequate core equipment is necessary to support these studies.

The core will provide technical support for UCSF investigators to conduct metabolic studies using a 16-chambered Comprehensive Lab Animal Monitoring System (CLAMS), a Rodent Incubator, an EchoMRI, and Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, which together allow measurement of food intake, water intake, motor activities, core temperature, and body composition in live mice. The use of these instruments allows longitudinal measurements of key metabolic parameters in the same cohort of animals at different ages and under different feeding conditions, and will enable the accumulation of data over several months of time.

We are very excited to offer access to a last generation Seahorse Bioscience XFe24 Extracellular Flux Analyzer, a platform for metabolic assays, simultaneously measuring the two major energy producing pathways of the cell – mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis - in a 24-well microplate, in real-time.

Research laboratories are provided with ready access, and training in the proper use of the equipment. The Core distributes the costs of maintaining sophisticated equipment across its many users through a recharge system. If available, Core personnel also may directly perform studies on a fee-basis. The Core, in collaboration with similar Core facilities on campus (see LINKS), also helps to identify emerging technologies that will enhance multiple research programs and coordinates the acquisition and maintenance of those facilities. FEEDBACK on available or missing services is always appreciated.