# Research Core 1:  Molecular Measures Core (RC1)

> **NIH NIH P30** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $281,944

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – Molecular Measures Core (MMC)
The Molecular Measures Core (MMC) provides a centralized resource, analytical tools and expertise to
measure a broad array of molecular analytes in support of Duke OAIC projects in their work to understand and
optimize reserve and resilience. The MMC has served as an integral Resource Core in support of the Duke
OAIC since 2006. For this funding cycle, the MMC will focus on molecular analyses that provide mechanistic
insights into resiliencies at the cellular, tissue or organ levels that are expected to increase our understanding
of the means to optimize reserve and resilience at the whole person level. The MMC will provide molecular
analytic, mentoring and consultative support for a host of Research Education Core (REC) Scholar Projects,
Pilot/Exploratory Studies (PESs) and External Projects (EPs). These projects test hypotheses related to aging
across the lifespan, caloric restriction and enhanced protein weight loss interventions and involve a range of
patient and sample types, including older dialysis patients, patients undergoing chemotherapy for multiple
myeloma, patients undergoing pre-operative exercise therapy, young and old muscle satellite cells from
sedentary or exercised mice with and without pharmacological autophagy induction, and young and old
chondrocyte response to stressors. The MMC is capable of providing services to measure a broad array of
cellular, molecular, biochemical and metabolic factors. The most pertinent Core services in the next funding
cycle will include molecular measures of inflammation, targeted and non-targeted metabolomics, molecular
measures of biological age, and measures related to wound healing and stress responses. In addition, the
MMC will conduct a Developmental Project (DP-1) to develop and validate a panel of molecular markers
indicative of senescent cell burden based on the recent knowledge that cellular senescence plays a key role in
physiological tissue repair and remodeling responses. The DP2 validated panel will be made available to the
Duke OAIC researchers in the latter years of funding. In addition, the MMC will provide Pathways Analysis
(using Ingenuity Systems) of molecular data to identify potential biological networks involved in reserve and
resilience. The exciting focus on resilience in this cycle provides an opportunity to explore the latest theories on
aging that are particularly amenable and suited to evaluation by molecular approaches. The application of
molecular and pathways analyses to these projects are expected to provide objective insights into the
mechanisms underlying reserve and resilience in support of the mission of the Duke OAIC.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9971416
- **Project number:** 5P30AG028716-15
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Virginia Kraus
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $281,944
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9971416

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9971416, Research Core 1:  Molecular Measures Core (RC1) (5P30AG028716-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9971416. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*