NORC Energy Balance Core

The University of Washington (UW) Nutrition and Obesity Research Center’s (NORC) Energy Balance Core provides Affiliate Investigators with a state-of-the-art resource for comprehensive energy balance and metabolic phenotyping of rodent models relevant to nutrition, obesity and diabetes.

Core Services:

Energy Homeostasis
Indirect calorimetry and related services for both mouse and rats:
• 16 cage temperature and humidity-controlled indirect calorimetry system
• Energy expenditure
• Fuel utilization
• Locomotor activity
• Continuous measures of food and water intake
• Meal pattern analysis
• Food preferences
• Continuous body temperature monitoring
• Running wheel activity

Biostatistical data analysis:
• Biostatistical adjustment of energy expenditure or other measures for group differences in body mass and composition (Butler et al., Diabetes 2010; Kaiyala et al., Diabetes 2011) https://www.mmpc.org/shared/regression.aspx

Body and tissue composition:
• Noninvasive body composition analysis for measures of fat mass, lean body mass and water content in conscious rats and mice
• Biopsy sample triglyceride content in tissue samples as small as 30mg
• Tissue and blood collection for subsequent processing.

Glucose Homeostasis
• Insulin tolerance test
• Glucose tolerance test
• For euglycemic glucose clamp studies, please contact the UW Diabetes Research Center Cell Functional and Analysis Core (https://depts.washington.edu/diabetes/)

Thermoregulation
• Temperature controlled chambers (4°C – 34°C) for cold or heat challenges.
• Body temperature monitoring
• Tail temperature
• Thermal conductance (heat dissipation)

Video Monitoring
• Continuous recording for behavioral analysis
• Night vision

Metabolic Analysis
• ELISA/EIA (glucose, insulin, NEFA, corticosterone, glucagon)
• For specific analytes, please contact the UW Diabetes Research Center Analytical SubCore (https://depts.washington.edu/diabetes/)

Members of the NORC Energy Balance Core

Gregory Morton, PhD
Gregory Morton, PhD

Director
Dr. Morton is a Research Associate Professor of Medicine and member of the UW Medicine Diabetes Institute at the University of Washington. He received his PhD at Deakin University, Australia under the supervision of Dr. Greg Collier, and subsequently completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Schwartz within the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition at the University of Washington, Seattle. Dr. Morton has extensive experience in metabolism, physiology and expertise in rodent metabolic phenotyping, having served as Director of the former NIH/NIDDK-funded Nutrition Obesity Research Center Energy Balance Core at the University of Washington.

Kayoko Ogimoto, PhD
Kayoko Ogimoto, PhD

Technical Director
Kayoko completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Exercise Physiology with an integrated minor of Biochemistry, Nutrition and Veterinary Physiology at the Oregon State University. Kayoko has > 15 years’ experience performing metabolic phenotyping studies in both rats and mice. She works with investigators to co-ordinate, streamline and design studies and oversees the data collection. Dr. Ogimoto is also responsible for the organization, formatting, processing and biostatistical analysis of data obtained from indirect calorimetry studies and other related services.

Jarrell Nelson, BSc
Jarrell Nelson, BSc

Research Scientist
Jarrell Nelson joined the lab in 2011 and is a Research Scientist 1. He completed his B.S. at Washington State University and is responsible for quality controls and the performance of indirect calorimetry, ambulatory activity, body temperature and running wheel studies as part of the UWMDI Energy Balance Core.