David Nelson

david.e.nelson@mtsu.edu

Dennis Mullen

Biology

Discipline specific equipment

SCI2107

N/A

N/A

The study of metabolism is undergoing a renaissance. The pervasive role played by metabolic dysfunction in the development of the 21st century’s most significant human diseases, such as cancer, obesity, and neurodegeneration, is becoming increasingly clear, driving advances in biomedical science and the development of innovative new drugs, including the semaglutides. Unfortunately, this new understanding has yet to filter down into higher education, leaving our graduates unprepared to fully participate in these areas of biomedical research. To help address this, the Biology Department requests funds for an Agilent Seahorse HS Mini, filling an important gap in our teaching and research instrumentation. This metabolic profiling instrument enables the user to measure and manipulate glycolytic and mitochondrial activity in living cells, providing a real-time readout of these activities through a large touch-screen display. The system would be employed in Cell & Molecular Biology (BIOL4210/4211; 115 students/year) to provide instruction and practical demonstrations of mitochondrial function and the Warburg effect, the metabolic shift occurring in cancer cells. It can also be used in our Immunology courses (BIOL4300/6439/FSBI4300; 90 students/year) to illustrate the metabolic changes that accompany immune cell activation. Additionally, the system will enhance faculty-lead research, providing hands-on training for numerous undergraduate and graduate students, particularly those associated with the MOBI PhD program (~20 students) while also increasing our research productivity and competitiveness for extramural funding. Finally, this portable instrument will be made available to chemistry faculty who teach advanced biochemistry classes, including Principles of Biochemistry Lab (CHEM3531) and Biochemical Techniques (CHEM4530).