Mitochondria and Metabolism Testing Center
Mitochondrial Imaging, PTM Analysis & Metabolism Core
This program provides advanced tests of mitochondria, protein chemical changes, and small molecules to help research on lung blood flow problems in children born with congenital heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida International University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Miami, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11198733 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This center performs high-resolution imaging to show how mitochondria are shaped and how they work, and measures cellular energy use such as oxygen consumption and ATP production. It analyzes chemical tags on proteins using mass spectrometry and measures metabolites in cells, animal tissues, and blood plasma, including samples from children with congenital heart disease affecting pulmonary blood flow. The core combines these methods to map metabolic pathways and mitochondrial changes and to provide standardized data for the program's research projects. As a parent or patient, this core helps researchers understand biological changes that could point to future diagnostics or treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are infants or children born with congenital heart defects that alter pulmonary blood flow whose clinical teams can arrange blood or tissue samples for research.
Not a fit: Patients without congenital heart disease or those who cannot or do not wish to provide blood or tissue samples would not directly benefit from participating in this core's work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal mitochondrial or metabolic markers that improve diagnosis or lead to new treatments for children with congenital heart disease who have altered pulmonary blood flow.
How similar studies have performed: Techniques like mitochondrial imaging, bioenergetics measurements, mass-spectrometry PTM analysis, and metabolomics are established and have advanced knowledge in related diseases, but using them together for pulmonary blood flow changes in congenital heart disease is a more novel application.
Where this research is happening
Miami, United States
- Florida International University — Miami, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Black, Stephen M — Florida International University
- Study coordinator: Black, Stephen M
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.