DERC Islet Cell Core

The Islet Cell and Functional Analysis Core (IFAC) is part of the NIH-funded DERC at the University of Washington and is a broad-based resource for research involving pancreatic islets, cells and tissue. The Core is part of the Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center, and has particular import to the research goals of the Diabetes and Obesity Center of Excellence.  Services include preparing isolated islets from rodents, chronic and acute treatment and culture of islets, cells and tissue, and their experimental analysis in regard to their metabolic, functional and morphological state. Flow culture combined with sophisticated assessment techniques using optical detection have been developed and provide a unique set of investigational tools. Parameters that can be measured allow a systems approach to the elucidation of mechanisms mediating observed effects on metabolism and cell death.  Measured parameters include real-time detection of mitochondrial function (NADH, oxygen consumption, cytochrome c reduction, CO2 production, mitochondrial membrane potential), as well as lactate production, insulin secretion, cytosolic calcium and calcium uptake. These same real-time analytical tools can be adapted to most cell and tissue types; those that have been analyzed in the past include cultured lymphocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, hepatocytes, as well as brain slices, retina, and muscle. For all core users, consultation regarding experimental design and data analysis is provided.  Ongoing and previous studies have involved control of insulin secretion, cell death, inflammation, mitochondrial metabolism, phenotyping of genetically altered cells and animal models, transplantation studies, and ligand binding and uptake studies.  For more information see http://depts.washington.edu/diabetes/biomedcore/ifac.index.html.

For more information see http://depts.washington.edu/diabetes/biomedcore/ifac.index.html 
or contact Ian Sweet, PhD, Core Director, isweet@u.washington.edu.