Research involves the application of nutrition and nutrigenetics to the nutraceutical prevention and post-onset management of type 2 diabetes in humans, with a view to the reduction of polypharmacy.
The lab’s research involves the application of nutrition and nutrigenetics to the nutraceutical prevention and post-onset management of type 2 diabetes in humans, with a view to the reduction of polypharmacy. The nutrigenetic work is done by genotyping, to identify polymorphisms in genes and the best responders, in terms of phenotypes, to a particular treatment. Phenotypic determinations include the seven major clinical associations with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes: obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, hypertension, inflammation, oxidation and the prothrombotic state. Other research involves metabolomic studies of plasma to determine the molecular trigger(s) of type 2 diabetes, with a view to prevention.
- HbA1c
- ELISAs
- lipoprotein separation via ultracentrifugation
- blood levels (glucose / lipids / lipoproteins / oxidation / anti-oxidation and inflammation)
- individual and total fatty acids including free fatty acids
- genotyping
- Education
- Healthcare and social services
- Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
Specialized labs and equipment
| Equipment | Function |
|---|---|
| High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system | Fatty acid analysis, HbA1c |
| Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) system with photodiode array | Fatty acid analysis |
| Ultracentrifuge | Lipoprotein isolation |
| High-speed centrifuge | Separation of blood components |
| Plate reader | ELISAs (including, but not limited, to measures of oxidation, anti-oxidation and inflammation),blood glucose, lipids, and protein content |
| Freezer, -80 degree Celsius | Blood component storage |
| Fridges, 4 degree Celsius | DNA and chemical storage for genotyping |
| Freezers, -20 degree Celsius | DNA and chemical storage for genotyping |
| Gel electrophoresis instrument | Genotyping |
Private and public sector research partners
- University of Saskatchewan
- Western University
- University of Toronto
- St. Francis Xavier University
- Memorial University