# Stanford/Salk MoTrPAC Site for Genomes, Epigenomes and Transcriptomes

> **NIH NIH U24** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $4,481,145

## Abstract

Lack of physical activity is central to numerous health problems. Despite this, we have limited
understanding of the molecular components which confer the benefit of physical activity and their
diverse impacts across tissues with respect to age, sex, genetics, environment and other objective
physiologic, morphometric, and metabolic measures. Identifying these molecular signatures offers to
provide new opportunities for treatment and therapeutics. The goal of the Molecular Transducers of
Physical Activity in Humans Consortium (MoTrPAC) is to assemble a comprehensive map of the
molecular changes that occur in response to physical activity and, when possible, relate these changes
to the benefits of physical activity. This map will be greatly facilitated by the application of –omics
technologies to identify exercise-responsive genes and to relate their benefits across multiple tissues
and contexts. We propose to aid in the construction of this map as the Stanford/Salk MoTrPAC
Genome, Epigenome and Transcriptome (GET) Chemical Analysis Center. We will leverage our
production and analysis experience to engage in MoTrPAC study design, enable the production of high
quality and low cost genomes, epigenomes and transcriptomes and facilitate and engage in
bioinformatics analysis with the MoTrPAC Bioinformatics Center. Key activities will include coordination
and collaboration with all the MoTrPAC sites from tissue management to data delivery. Through these
activities we will sequence 3000 genomes and at least 40000 epigenomes and 40000 transcriptomes
for samples collected at MoTrPAC animal and human study sites. Our site will engage in multiple levels
of quality control from tissue collection to sequence mapping. Generated data in common data formats
will be immediately available to MoTrPAC investigators and the Bioinformatics Center through the
Google Cloud. In addition, as part of our proposed site, and in coordination with both the MoTrPAC
Steering Committee and investigators, we will leverage our expertise in both studies of exosomes and
chromatin accessibility sequencing with ATAC-seq to conduct two early pilots that aim to elucidate the
systemic and molecular changes in response to physical activity. Additional features of our proposed
site are analytical opportunities that include leveraging multiple exercise-related –omics data sets, such
as the DGN study where we have genetic data, transcriptomes and exercise activity recorded for 922
people and have already identified multiple differentially expressed genes and gene-by-environment
variants in response to exercise, and diverse and novel -omics methods for gene-by-environment,
multi-omics and longitudinal data analysis. Our expectation is that this combination of production
experience, exercise-relevant data and novel methods will support diverse and impact research
outcomes in the MoTrPAC.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9840895
- **Project number:** 5U24DK112348-04
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Stephen Montgomery
- **Activity code:** U24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $4,481,145
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-12-13 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9840895

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9840895, Stanford/Salk MoTrPAC Site for Genomes, Epigenomes and Transcriptomes (5U24DK112348-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9840895. Licensed CC0.

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