The Frances A. Johnston and Charlotte M. Young Human Metabolic Research Unit (HMRU) is a 3,830 square-foot unit with specialized laboratories and facilities that support comprehensive nutrition and metabolism research on human subjects.

The HMRU is used to support research on human metabolism, dietetics, reproductive physiology and clinical chemistry, as well as studies on human performance and assessment of body composition and bone mass.

It is a shared resource for nutrition research and education in the DNS and is administered through the office of the DNS director.

All research conducted in the HMRU is approved by Cornell University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) and subject to various HMRU policies and standard operating procedures. Any faculty member acting as the principal investigator or the supervising faculty member of any project being conducted in the HMRU is responsible for all aspects of the scientific conduct of the project.

This laboratory supports research on nutritional and biochemical biomarkers. The research focus is primarily on human nutrition,but the laboratory also is used to conduct numerous assays on samples from other species.

The laboratory routinely runs assays using a Siemens Immulite 2000 automated immunoassay system and a Siemens Dimension Xpand Chemistry Analyzer. The laboratory also is equipped with a Biotek Synergy 2 microplate reader, a Biotek Precision XS Robotic Systemanda Biotek ELx50 magnetic microplate washer to do more specialized immunoassays using commercially available kits.

For hematology analysis, the laboratory is equipped with a Beckman-Coulter AcT Diff 2 coulter counter. The laboratory also has a Parr Oxygen Combustion Bomb Calorimeter for food and tissue calorimetric studies.

For sample processing, the laboratory has numerous centrifuges, a biosafety cabinet, and a Savant DNS120 Speedvac. Short-term and long-term storage of samples is available in three 80°C ultra-low freezers.

The laboratory also uses the Luminex Magpix Multiplex System and the Quantimetrix Lipoprint LDL and HDL subfraction system.

The Magpix is a multiplex immunoassay system that uses magnetic bead technology, with LED optics and charge-couple base device (CCD) camera to illuminate and detect differentially fluorescent dyed beads. The technology allows for highly sensitive quantification of up to 50 biomarkers at a time on one 96 well plate. The technology requires less time, less sample volume, and less cost compared with conventional ELISA systems. To find out more about this technology please visit Luminex Corp: Magpix.

The Lipoprint system uses high resolution gel electrophoresis to separate and quantitate both High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) subfractions, as well as Intermediate Density Lipoprotein (IDL) fractions and Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL). It reduces sample volume; cost and time compared to density ultracentrifugation and nuclear magnetic resonance methodologies. The Lipoprint LDL method is the only subfraction methodology that has FDA approval for clinical testing. http://quantimetrix.com/lipoprint/

For questions or additional information contact:

• Laboratory Manager: Vicky Simon, 607-255-2997

The CSCU is a research support unit whose mission is to support Cornell faculty, staff, and students with study design, data analysis, and the use of statistics in their research. They provide statistical expertise to the entire Cornell community through consulting, teaching, and contract services.

Services

• Design of experiments or surveys
• Reviewing method sections
• Understanding methods used in published research
• Planning and implementation of statistical analysis
• Interpretation of results
• Specialized programming
• Preparation for committee meetings
• Preparation and revision of manuscripts

Instructional support 

• Statistical workshops
• Specialized lectures within existing courses
• Newsletters containing information about statistical methods and tools
• Serving as a resource center by providing handouts and articles
• Participation in group and lab meetings
• Specialized techniques for specific departments

Software

Cornell holds site licenses for a number of general statistical software packages which are available at reduced prices to members of the Cornell community. Specialized software is available through CSCU. 

Contact cscu@cornell.edu for further information. 

The Survey Research Institute (SRI) is a full-service survey facility. Services range from study design to analysis and everything in between. Clients are offered any combination of services to meet their needs.

Services

• Study and Research Design
• Instrument Design
• Sampling Procedures
• Focus Groups 
• Data Collection - including:
  • CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews)
  • Web Surveys (Web-Administered Questionnaires)
  • Scannable Forms
• Transcription
• Data Analysis and Inference Testing
• Report Preparation, Writing, and Production

Appointments for initial consultation are free of charge. Clients may request preliminary estimates of the costs of services to be provided.

Contact surveyresearch@cornell.edu for more information.

The Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research (CISER) offers assistance with the use of data files and quantitative and qualitative data analysis software.

Services

• HelpDesk support, responding to walk-in, e-mail, telephone, and instant message queries.
• Consultants help the client do their own work, providing resources and examples.
• Campus based hands-on workshops in statistical and qualitative data analysis software (current topics include SAS, Stata, SPSS, Matlab, and Atlas.ti).
• Web-based library of instructional materials and sample programs for the use of CISER's computing system, CISER data archive files, and various software packages.

Services are available to all Cornell faculty, staff, and students doing faculty-directed academic research. There is no user fee for services.

Contact ciser@cornell.edu for more information.

Discovery Kitchen is a state-of the-art teaching kitchen now under construction through a partnership between Cornell Dining and the Division of Nutritional Sciences (DNS). The partners expect their shared lab to enhance menus, dietary education and food literacy across campus, and hope the kitchen classroom’s prominent placement in the university’s newest residential community highlights the connections between food and research, living and learning.

Learn more: North Campus kitchen to cultivate culinary, dietetic discovery