Nutrition and Microbiology Experimental Platform (IENM)

Research themes developed

The IENM implements experimental protocols defined within the framework of the UNH's primary missions, which are to study the impact of foods, dietary patterns, and micro/macronutrients on the metabolic pathways involved in maintaining the body's major biological functions, thus enabling a better understanding of the signals induced by these nutrients and establishing nutritional recommendations for the prevention of age-related degenerative pathologies. The IENM also provides custom services for other units of the INRAE center (Animal Product Quality (QuaPA), Joint Herbivore Research Unit (UMRH)) and the Clermont-Ferrand scientific platform (University of Clermont Auvergne (UCA), International Center for Endoscopic Surgery of Clermont-Ferrand (CICE)).
The premises were designed to accommodate rodents and medium-sized animals (mini-pigs) in two adjacent but independent areas of 600 m² each, under conventional sanitary conditions.
The IEN's housing capacity is approximately 5,000 rodents and 18 mini-pigs.

The facility comprises two parts :

I - Rodent Zone

This 600 m² area consists of :

• 17 experimental modules ranging from 9 to 50 m²
•  1 clean room comprising 1 experimental module and a laboratory section
• 4 sampling laboratories equipped with scales, centrifuges, hot plates, freezers, a gas anesthesia system, and a fume hood
•  1 food and bedding storage area
• 2 food preparation areas
• 1 cold zone (4°C and -20°C)
• 1 washing area equipped with bottle washers, cage washers, and dishwashers.

The IEN is authorized to accommodate Class A1 transgenic animals. 2,000 mice are currently housed permanently, 75% of which are transgenic strains.

Adjacent to the animal housing areas, a functional and metabolic phenotyping technical platform allows for :

• Body composition measurement: fat mass / lean mass / total body water.
• Energy expenditure measurement using indirect calorimetry and physical activity.
• Urine and feces collection, food and water intake.
• Blood composition measurement (SCil hematometer).
• Mobility parameters measurement (Catwalk).

II - A second area of 600 m2 dedicated to experiments on mini-pigs is made up of :

• 1 area housing 12 mini-pigs
• 1 experimental area equipped with 6 metabolic cages
• 1 laboratory area
• 1 room for taking samples
• 1 storage area
• 1 area for preparing feed rations
• 1 cold zone (4°C and -20°C)

This area is adjacent to a surgical platform allowing invasive procedures to be performed under general anesthesia, such as the implantation of permanent catheters into the blood vessels of the abdominal cavity or the placement of devices to study the fate of food in the digestive tract.

A blood flow measurement device (T420, Transonic System Inc) and flowmeter probes are available.