Award details

Automation miniaturisation and reduction of the measurement of energy metabolism using stable isotopes

Reference	JE616449
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor John Speakman
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of Aberdeen
Department	Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	81,600
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	25/02/2002
End date	25/02/2003
Duration	12 months

Abstract

The award holder's laboratory has a world class reputation in the application of stable isotope methods to the study of animal metabolism, in particular the measurement of animal energetics using the doubly-labelled water technique. Research has included a major effort in terms of validating the method and understanding and resolving the implications of the various assumptions on which the technique is based. This work culminated in the publication of a book that is the definitive text on the methodology (Speakman 1997 Doubly-labelled water: theory and practice). The laboratory is one of only a handful able to apply this method to small animals, with a reputation in this area making it the collaborator of choice for many scientists from across the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. In the last decade our research has resulted in three breakthrough insights that have been published in Nature/Science. We are constantly striving to refine the stable isotope methodologies and this award will fund two related pieces of equipment that will allow us to achieve these aims. The first is a pyrolysis inlet mass spectrometer which will allow us to further miniaturise the samples we can analyse opening up new possibilities in terms of reducing the severity of the method and also the size of animals that can be studied. The second is for equipment that will allow us to develop in collaboration with the mass spectrometry company an automation of a novel analysis method developed last year (Ward et al Rapid comm. Mass spec).

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Joint Equipment Initiative 2001 (JE6) [2001]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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