The Metabolic and Analytic Core is predominantly located at the Kaka’ako campus of the University of Hawaii and has a number of pieces of equipment:

• VisualSonics VEVO 2100 High resolution imaging system
• Isoflurane vaporizer with O2 flowmeter
• Harvard Apparatus Inspira Advanced Safety Ventilator
• Temperature controlled surgical table and instruments
• Gas regulator/mixer for hypoxic enclosure
• Exercise equipment an Exer3/6 (Columbus Instruments) animal exerciser treadmill with stimulus assembly
• Isolated organ/Langendorff perfusion system
• Langendorff ML176 apparatus & thermostat controller
• ADI physiological recording equipment
• Olympus dissecting microscope with camera and video screen for surgeries
• Seahorse XFe96 is the gold standard platform in metabolic assays today able to assess substrate utilization, mitochondrial function, metabolic switching, and cellular health
• The Luminex 200 Instrument System
• The OxyLetPro indirect calorimetry system
• The Quantimetrix Lipoprint System
• 10x Genomics Chromium Controller*
• Illumina NextSeq500 Whole Genome Sequencer*
• NanoString nCounter MAX Analysis System*
• Aurora 3-in-1 Whole Animal System
• DSI Small Animal Telemetry System
• IVIS Lumina XRMS in vivo imager
• Multielectrode Array**
• iSTAT clinical blood analyzer
• Kent Scientific Mouse Tail cuff blood pressure instrumentation

* used and serviced by the Genomics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource (GBSR) at the UHCC
** used and serviced by Yiqiang (Ken) Zhang

The Diabetes Research Center’s (DRC) Metabolic and Analytic Core (MAC) is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences as a resource to provide services to the community of scientists who use in vitro and in vivo models to study diabetes, obesity, diabetic complications, and other metabolic diseases. In order to accomplish this goal, the AMC offers to researchers consultation and phenotyping services that require specialized expertise or equipment. Modest fees for these tests are set at actual cost. A purpose of the Diabetes Research Center’s Metabolic and Analytic Core (Core) is to acquire, maintain, and operate instruments critical to research related to health sciences. The Core provides access to these instruments on a cost-recovery basis. This document states the expectations for usage of the Diabetes Research Center’s Metabolic and Analytic Core. Users and their supervisors must read and agree to the policies contained in this document before gaining access to the instrumentation within the facility.

1. Training

1.1. All users must undertake an initial mandatory training on any instrument they are planning to operate without Core support.

1.2. Users must submit an online Request to request training. Training is held during normal business hours only (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm).

1.3. Following the initial or successive training sessions, it will be determined by Core personnel whether the user is capable of competently operating the instrument independently. A user’s first 5 hours of independent use of an instrument must be scheduled during normal business hours and Core personnel must be notified by email so that they may be accessible to the user.

1.4. During the first training session, users must submit a signed user agreement.

2. Access to the Metabolic and Analytic Core

2.1. Independent access to the instruments is restricted to users who have demonstrated competency using the instruments. Independent after-hour access is restricted to those who have 5 or more hours of notified use during normal business hours, are currently enrolled students and employees of the University of Hawaii or employees of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, and possess key cards with programmed access to the rooms and/or buildings in which in the instruments are housed. Exceptions can be granted by the directors of the DRC and the Core.

2.2. If there is a long lapse without using equipment (3 months or more), the Core reserves the right to revoke after-hours independent access, pending demonstration of proficiency. For lapses of 6 month or more, a refresher or full re-training may be required, pending evaluation by Core personnel.

2.3. Users without key card access can utilize the instrumentation during business hours under the supervision of Core personnel. Exceptions can be granted by the directors of the DRC and the Core. Assisted sessions and training take place during normal business hours only.

2.4. Access to the IVIS Lumina imaging instrument in the Biosciences Building Vivarium is limited to users who are trained and approved for access to the Vivarium. The Animal and Veterinary Services (AVS) can provide information regarding specific requirements for access to the Vivarium (Michael Wong, D.V.M., wongmich@hawaii.edu; Lisa Sato, lisaho@hawaii.edu).

2.5. In order to access instrument computers, users must have an individual computer login that is provided upon training. Shared use of login information is strictly prohibited and may result in termination of access to the Core.

2.6. Users are required to sign in on the paper log sheets next to each instrument. The requested information in these log sheets helps to track any problems with the instruments as well as usage of lamp time, gasses, and other consumables. All users must keep track of their time on all instruments or software, whether the user logs in to the computer or not and whether there is an associated fee or not.

2.7. There is no training offered for metabolic flux measurements (Seahorse XFe96), which is only provided as a service performed by trained personnel depending on instrument availability.

3. Instrument Reservation, Scheduling Core Services

3.1. The Core has a first come, first served policy regarding instrument reservation and providing services.

3.2. All users must schedule personnel time or reserve instrument time by submitting an online Request.

3.3. All reservations must be honored, or cancelled, with a minimum of 24 hours advance notice. For cancellation of reservations done with less than 24 hours notice, Core personnel must be notified immediately. There should be justification for a short-notice cancellation to avoid charges. Failure to cancel reservations is a violation of Core policies.

3.4. Users who are late for their scheduled appointment (30-min grace period) may lose the booked time.

3.5. Users must adhere to the schedule, and vacate the equipment promptly at the end of the booked time if another user is scheduled to use the instrument.

3.6. Repetitive violations of these instrument reservation policies may result in suspension of user privileges, pending retraining and a new user agreement.

4. General Safety Policy

4.1. All users must be in compliance with laboratory and biosafety training requirements established by the University of Hawaii Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHSO) www.hawaii.edu/ehso/training/ and the Office of Research Compliance Biological Safety Program (BSP) https://research.hawaii.edu/orc/biological-safety/.

4.2. Use of any hazardous material that may be biological and/or chemical, must be reviewed and received prior approval by the Core director. The user is obligated to provide SOPs, which must include handling of the sample and control of potential spills and decontamination. Radioactive material or samples requiring BSL-3 or BSL-4 conditions cannot be handled under any circumstances in this facility.

4.3. For any samples, manipulation should be kept to a minimum within the facility. It is highly recommended that sample preparation (changing media, pipetting, mixing, etc.) be performed in the user’s lab before the samples are transferred to the facility. All biological and chemical waste must be disposed of in the user’s lab.

4.4. For live-cell manipulation, all materials (media, etc.) should be prepared in the user’s lab and must be fully contained (e.g. closed perfusion system). All biological and chemical waste must be disposed of in the user’s lab.

4.5. During any active manipulation of hazardous materials in the facility, users must wear the appropriate PPE, which needs to be provided by the user’s PI. Any spills, sprays or other potential contamination must be handled immediately and reported to Core personnel and JABSOM’s Environmental Health and Safety Office.

5. Equipment Maintenance

5.1. Users must cooperate with Core personnel to ensure that the instrumentation is maintained in optimal conditions.

5.2. Any indication of malfunctioning of an instrument must be immediately reported to Core personnel and recorded on the log sheet(s).

5.3. Users must never attempt to repair or modify the instruments. The facility is responsible for the cost of repairs and calibrations. Cost for repairs only becomes the responsibility of the user’s supervisor if the damage is due to: (a) an untrained person operating the instruments without Core personnel supervision, or (b) evidence of user’s negligence.

6. Data

6.1 Storage on Core Computers
All data must be saved in the designated user’s network drive, flash media, or external hard drive. Any data left on the computer may be deleted at the end of the day without warning. In the event of a problem storing data, Core personnel must be notified so the data can be temporarily saved to Core drives. Downloading anything from the internet onto Core computers is strictly prohibited.

6.2 Data Ownership
All data generated from a submitted strain belongs to the submitting investigator and his/her institution. Diabetes Research Center personnel have no rights to use this data for personal or institutional research purposes unless a formal, documented arrangement of collaboration exists between DRC personnel and the investigator. The NIH strongly encourages the sharing of research data. NIH guidelines regarding data sharing can be found at http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-032.html.

7. Charge Back – User Fees

There is no charge for instrument training up to five hours, nor for use of software. Following training, the instruments listed under the Equipment tab can be used independently at the rates shown. If users would like Core personnel to run their samples, or are in need of extended technical assistance on instruments, Core personnel can assist at the rates shown on the Rates tab. Time of use is based on records generated through log sheet records. An account number must be furnished for invoicing prior to using the instruments. The PI or supervisor charged will receive an invoice from the Diabetes Research Center in the month following the service period.

8. Acknowledgement in Publications

The existence of core facilities depends in part on acknowledgment in publications and grants, and it enables the core to obtain financial support so essential services can be provided in the most economical way possible. Therefore, please acknowledge the Metabolic and Analytic Core in all peer-reviewed publications and grant applications in which data was obtained using Core equipment, expertise, or services; and acknowledge the National Institutes of Health Center for Biomedical Research Excellence Program: P20GM113134 NIGMS.