Mission Statement:
- To understand the role of fats (lipids) in health, ageing and disease.
Specific Research Foci:
- Influence of membrane lipid composition on cellular process i.e. Membrane Pacemaker Theory of Metabolism
- The role of membrane lipid composition in ageing i.e. Membrane Pacemaker Theory of Ageing
- Membrane properties influenced by lipid composition
- Role of polyunsaturated fat in human health, exercise, modulation of metabolic rate, ageing and diseases of metabolism
- Dietary intakes of PUFA, omega-3 status & PUFA balance in relation to health & disease
- Fatty acid metabolism throughout pregnancy
Research Capacities:
- Unique, state-of-the-art lipidomics infrastructure
- Mass spectrometry of lipid molecules
- Gas Chromatography of fatty acids, ethane & pentane
- Cell isolation techniques and measurement of enzymatic and cellular process
- Subcellular fraction isolation and reconstitution techniques
- Double blind, randomised, placebo controlled intervention trials
The History of the Metabolic Research Centre (MRC)
- Founded - circa 1997
- Very active in the area of lipids and metabolism from Basic Science to General Metabolism to Clinical Trials and Disease States
- Run seminars on Metabolic Themes over past 3 years