MULTI-WELL EXTRACELLULAR FLUX ANALYZER - DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Two pathways generate the bulk of ATP in animal cells - mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis. Regulation of these ATP-generating processes is of fundamental interest to biologists, but these processes are difficult to study in cultured cells, especially when the cells are cultured in a multiwell configuration for high throughput. Recently, Seahorse Bioscience has developed the XF24 Extracellular Flux Analyzer that permits serial measurements of O2 consumption, acid formation and CO2 formation of cells cultured in 24- well plates. The three parameters measured by the flux analyzer permit investigators to measure repetitively and non-destructively oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, nutrient utilization and other processes in single cell cultures. Accordingly, our specific aims are to 1) acquire a Seahorse Three-Analyte Extracellular Flux Analyzer for measurement of O2 uptake, acid release and CO2 generation, and 2) place this instrument in a multi-user environment that provides technical support, user training and applications expertise in support of individual user projects. This emerging technology will uniquely permit NIH-funded researchers working on a variety of projects to assess bioenergetics and metabolic responses in normal physiology and models of disease, including cancer, alcoholic hepatotoxicity, macular degeneration, heart ischemia and failure, multiple organ failure and diabetes. The results of those studies could lead to the development of new therapeutic treatments for some of these diseases.
