UAB is a leader in the field of bioenergetics, or mitochondrial function, which plays an important role in common diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary disease, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. As new standards for scientific research are developed, acquiring advanced technology is vital for the institution to remain competitive in the field.
Victor Darley-Usmar, Ph.D.Victor Darley-Usmar, Ph.D., Foundation Endowed Professor of Mitochondrial Medicine and Pathology, Senior Associate Dean for Research Compliance and Administration, and Jianhua Zhang, Ph.D., a professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, recently received Project Grant support from both the Health Services Foundation (HSF) and the UAB Office of Research to provide UAB’s research community with state-of-the-art technology for measurement of bioenergetics in organoids and tissue slices.
Jianhua Zhang, Ph.D.
“This funding will enable us to purchase a unique instrument called the Agilent Seahorse XF Flex Analyzer, a high precision tissue slicer, and to provide technical and personnel support for it,” said Darley-Usmar. “The instrument analyzes organoid and tissue models, which aligns UAB well with new standards for research.”
The Agilent Seahorse XF Flex Analyzer creates a specialized environment needed to measure mitochondrial function in multiple samples simultaneously at ranging physiological temperatures. In addition to the XF-Flex, the team will purchase the Compresstome® VF-510-0Z Vibrating Microtome tissue slicer to create 3D tissue slices that will enable studies of chronic disease and therapeutics.
Agilent Seahorse XF Flex Analyzer“This new technology will bring new research capability to UAB in providing mitochondrial data that can be incorporated into grant projects and publications, keeping UAB a competitive institution in the future of bioenergetics research.”
The total funding for the project is from the UAB University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Centers Program in collaboration with the Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center, Integrative Center for Aging Research, and HSF.
“For more than ten years we have offered mitochondrial expertise to UAB and research communities across the United States through collaborative efforts and the NIH-funded Nathan Schock Center Mitometabolism Core,” Zhang said. “Our research team is well-qualified and excited to introduce this technology and offer it to our community partners.”