Phenotrons: A Sensitive Assay For Healthy Performance

ID U-4458

Category Research Tools (Non-Tangible Property)

Subcategory

Researchers
Brief Summary

A controlled vivarium for the assessment of fitness in treated vs. placebo animals.

Problem Statement

Current techniques require long term epidemiological and experimental research to find whether a substance is toxic. They may also miss more subtle effects of degradations of health.

Technology Description

We are exposed daily to chemicals, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, therapeutic agents, pathogens, electromagnetic radiation, excess or deficiencies of nutrients, food additives, food supplements and numerous other exogenous insults that may have unforeseen and adverse effects on our health. Consequently, there is a great need for broad, sensitive assays able to detect toxicity of any agent. While many high throughput systems are currently in use for screening for effects such as toxicity or efficacy of agents or stimuli, such assays may miss subtle effects on changes in overall health. This assay allows organisms to compete in an expansive or seminatural environment (termed a “phenotron”) over a period of time wherein such competitive environments require the organism to show high performance from all physiological systems and thus it is very sensitive to otherwise subtle alterations in individual physiological systems.

Stage of Development

Clinical Validation

Benefit

  • This assay technique has been shown to be highly sensitive in detecting declines in animal fitness not only for genetic mutations but also with animals fed on diets containing high amounts of high fructose corn syrup.
  • While the system involves more elaborate analysis of animal fitness than traditional toxicology studies, this system is more sensitive in detecting subtle changes or long-term consequences of such studies.
  • This assay has superior efficacy and sensitivity, is more comprehensive and is a cost effective method to detect toxicity of a compound in a very short time.

 

Publications

Carroll LS et al. Fitness effects of a selfish gene (the Mus t complex) are revealed in an ecological context. Evolution. 2004;58(6):1318-28. doi:10.1111/j.0014-3820.2004.tb01710.x

Ilmonen P et al. “Major histocompatibility complex heterozygosity reduces fitness in experimentally infected mice.” Genetics vol. 176,4 (2007): 2501-8. doi:10.1534/genetics.107.074815

https://unews.utah.edu/competing-mice-reveal-genetic-defects/

IP

Publication Number: US-2011-0229925-A1
Patent Title: Assays for Performance of Organisms in Phenotrons
Jurisdiction/Country: United States
Application Type: Non-Provisional

Contact Info

Lucia Irazabal
lu.irazabal@utah.edu

Questions?

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