Meet the team
Darran HardyResearch TechnicianYu LiuResearch Operations Manager
If you're interested in joining the LMS
The aim of the facility is to support our scientists in phenotype characterisation of murine models. This is achieved through a range of technologies and protocols for in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro procedures. Our facility implements such procedures, develops new ones, and evaluates new technologies.
Assessment of metabolism is carried out both in vitro and in vivo. There is a need to extrapolate observations obtained at a cellular level to the whole animal and vice versa.
Biological phenomena have to be followed at different levels of complexity in order to appreciate fully their values and implications.
In vivo imaging of small animals, such as mice, makes it possible to expand and to verify results obtained at a cellular level in a system (the whole animal) where supracellular interactions occur. Biologically, interactions can be followed in this way in time and space at the level of the whole organism. This has major benefits for both basic research and pre-clinical studies.
Furthermore, since it is non-invasive, it allows assessment of the same animal at different time points and in this way accelerates research and reduces the number of animals employed in the study.
Metabolism and animal physiology are investigated with several approaches.
Columbus Comprehensive Lab Animal Monitoring System (CLAMS) allows to perform indirect calorimetry in mice under controlled temperature and light conditions. The system has an integrated DSI telemetry system to monitor physiological parameters such as body temperature, blood pressure, ECG and arterial blood glucose through surgically implanted probes.
We can also non-invasively record ECG in awake mice, without the need of telemetry probes, with the ECGenie instrumentation.
We can assess the body composition in live, conscious mice with the Echo-MRI 100 body composition analyzer. Body composition measurements of fat, lean, free water, and total water masses in live animals weighing up to 100 grams with a single scanning lasting few minutes.
Cellular metabolism is assessed with the use of Seahorse XF analyzer. Several primary cell cultures are also provided for in vitro tests.
For in vivo imaging of mice, two imaging technologies are available.
An IVIS Spectrum instrument is available. This instrument makes it possible to carry out non-invasive longitudinal monitoring of bioluminescent and fluorescent reporters in anaesthetized mice. We have also an IVIS Lumina III system that is dedicated for detection of bioluminescent and fluorescent reporters in vitro. Both systems are equipped with a wide range of excitation and detections filters and spectral un-mixing algorithms.
In vivo photoacoustic imaging: a Vevo LAZR instrument with a pulsed laser is available. This is a multi-modality instrument with high- frequency ultrasound for high resolution of anatomical structures and photo-acoustics imaging capability. It allows non-invasive longitudinal monitoring of endogenous and exogenous light absorbers and optical tomography.
In addition to the above in vivo imaging methodologies, mesoscopic fixed samples can be imaged in 3D for absorbance and emission with a bespoke Optical Projection Tomography (OPT) instrumentation.
Ding S.S., Romenskyy M., Sarkisyan K.S., Brown A.E.X. (2020). Measuring Caenorhabditis elegans Spatial Foraging and Food Intake Using Bioluminescent Bacteria. Genetics, 214, 577-587.
Pollard A.E., Martins L., Muckett P.J., Khadayate S., Bornot A., Clausen M., Admyre T., Bjursell M., Fiadeiro R., Wilson L., Whilding C., Kotiadis V.N., Duchen M. R., Sutton D., Penfold L., Sardini A., Bohlooly-YM., Smith D.M., Read J.A., Snowden M.A., Woods A., and Carling D. (2019). AMPK activation protects against diet induced obesity through Ucp1-independent thermogenesis in subcutaneous white adipose tissue. Nat. Metab. 1(3), 340-349.
Van de Pette, M, Abbas, A., Feytout, A., McNamara, G.,Bruno, L., To,W.K., Dimond, A., Sardini, A., Webster, Z.,McGinty, J., Eleanor J. Paul, E.J., Ungless, M.A., French, P.M.W., Withers, D.J., Uren, A., Ferguson-Smith, A.C., Merkenschlager, M., Rosalind M., John R.M. and Fisher A. G.(2017). Visualizing Changes in Cdkn1c Expression Links Early-Life Adversity to Imprint Mis-regulation in Adults. Cell Reports, 18, 1090–1099.