The overarching objective of the Thalacker-Mercer research program is to identify and understand nutrient and metabolic determinants of skeletal muscle (SkM) regeneration and atrophy. This objective is achieved by 1) examining nutrient requirements and the metabolic signature of SkM stem/ progenitor cell expansion; 2) characterizing novel metabolic and molecular regulators of cell expansion, differentiation, and myotube formation; and 3) developing optimal nutrition and anti-inflammatory therapies to improve SkM health. To address these objectives the Thalacker-Mercer research program utilizes human and mouse, primary skeletal muscle cell cultures and muscle tissue coupled with state-of-the-art imaging and –omics techniques and technologies. The lab uses a culture system that allows rapid quantification of markers underlying regenerative capacity, gene and protein expression, mitochondrial biogenesis, and metabolism in human and mouse primary satellite cells. The approach to research in the Thalacker-Mercer lab is truly translational—spanning from cells and molecules to clinical trials.
