Terry D. Brandebourg - profile information

Research

My research program focuses upon the growth and development of adipose tissue (fat). In this regard, my laboratory utilizes cell culture models and molecular biology techniques to address growth-related issues from an adipocentric point of view in both production animals and humans.

Two overriding issues define the research interests of my laboratory:

• General failure of meat animals to reach their potential for growth
• Emergence of obesity as a global health epidemic.

My program is shaped by the premise that an inability to finely manipulate adiposity (body fat) and inflammatory responses in both adipose tissue and muscle contributes greatly to these problems. Thus, research in my laboratory concentrates on the nutritional and hormonal regulation of:

• Fat cell differentiation
• Fat cell metabolism
• Innate immune function of both adipose tissue and muscle

The ultimate goal is to identify molecular targets that can be exploited to control body composition and improve health in both production animals and humans with ideal solutions involving simple dietary manipulations. Part of these efforts also involves the development of a porcine model for human obesity.

TECHNIQUES

Cell culture (primary culture and cell lines), transfection assays (transient transfection, generation of stable cell lines, knockdown experiments w/siRNA), cell number assays (proliferation/apoptosis), PCR (real-time and conventional), DNA subcloning, northern and western blotting, enzyme activity assays, ELIZAs, mobility shift assays, fluorescence and luminescence assays.