Resources
To support our translational research in obesity, metabolism, and cannabinoid pharmacology, the Tam Laboratory is equipped with advanced analytical platforms and specialized in vivo systems. These resources enable high-resolution metabolic, biochemical, and behavioral phenotyping, and are available for internal use and external collaborations.
Below is an overview of the key technologies and services we provide.
Endocannabinoid Analytics
Profiling the Endocannabinoid System in Health and Disease
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a central role in regulating energy metabolism, immune responses, appetite, bone remodeling, and organ function. However, its dynamic nature, commonly referred to as “endocannabinoid tone” varies significantly across physiological and pathological states. Accurate, quantitative measurement of endocannabinoids and related lipid mediators (collectively known as the endocannabinoidome) is critical to understanding the functional relevance of ECS signaling in both preclinical models and human disease.
Our Analytical Platform
Our lab has established a state-of-the-art LC-MS/MS-based analytical platform to quantify endocannabinoids and their related ligands across a wide range of biological matrices, including:
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Blood (serum, plasma)
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Urine
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Saliva
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Tissue homogenates (e.g., liver, kidney, brain, adipose tissue, bone, etc.)
We routinely apply this technology to murine and bovine models, as well as to clinical samples, through close collaboration with physicians and healthcare centers in Israel and internationally.
Applications Across Disease Contexts
We use our endocannabinoid analytics to investigate ECS involvement in:
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Obesity and insulin resistance
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MASLD/MASH (fatty liver disease)
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Diabetes (type 1 and type 2)
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Weight loss interventions (pharmacological and surgical)
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Osteoporosis and bone turnover
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Hyperphagia and feeding behavior disorders
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Autism spectrum disorders
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Acute and chronic kidney injury
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Chronic and acute pain
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Other emerging metabolic and inflammatory conditions
These analyses not only guide mechanistic investigations but also serve as biomarker discovery tools, helping to stratify disease subtypes and assess therapeutic response.
Collaborative Opportunities
We actively welcome new collaborations with academic labs, clinicians, and industry partners interested in characterizing the ECS in their disease models or patient cohorts. Our platform supports both hypothesis-driven research and discovery-based profiling, and we are happy to assist with study design, sample processing, data analysis, and interpretation.
If you're interested in exploring how endocannabinoid tone may be relevant to your area of research, please contact us to initiate a discussion.
Behavioral and Metabolic Phenotyping Analysis
Understanding the complex relationship between metabolism, behavior, and disease requires advanced tools capable of capturing real-time physiological changes under normal and pathological conditions. Our lab is equipped with the Promethion Core Mouse Metabolic and Behavioral Phenotyping System (Sable Systems International), a cutting-edge platform for continuous, high-resolution monitoring of metabolic, behavioral, and physiological parameters in freely moving rodents.
This powerful system enables the simultaneous analysis of:
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Energy expenditure and substrate utilization (via O₂ consumption and CO₂ production)
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Respiratory exchange ratio (RER)
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Food and water intake
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Voluntary and ambulatory activity
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Core body temperature and body weight tracking
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Circadian rhythms and behavioral patterns
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Optional treadmill modules for evaluating exercise physiology
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Customizable experimental protocols for short- or long-term studies
Thanks to its unique SableHD™ technology, the system ensures unparalleled precision and synchronization between behavioral and metabolic readouts. All data is processed through the Promethion Live™ software platform, allowing real-time visualization, calibration, and integrated analysis.
We apply this technology to a wide range of translational studies, including:
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Obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperphagia
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MASLD and hepatic metabolic remodeling
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Acute and chronic kidney diseases (AKI, CKD, UUO, IRI, etc.)
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Osteoporosis and systemic bone-metabolism crosstalk
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Genetic knockout and overexpression models
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Testing of investigational drug compounds for metabolic diseases
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Food choice experimental settings
Our integrated approach allows for deep phenotyping under physiological, dietary, surgical, and pharmacological manipulations, contributing to major advancements in organ-specific and whole-body metabolism research.
Publications and Impact
Our platform has supported numerous high-impact publications from our lab and collaborators. These studies have advanced our understanding of the endocannabinoid system, mitochondrial energetics, and inter-organ metabolic axes.
View our Selected Publications using the Promethion system.
Collaborative Opportunities
We actively invite external researchers and collaborators to utilize this system for their metabolic and behavioral studies. Our team offers full technical support, experimental design guidance, and data analysis assistance.
To discuss your project, request a quote, or schedule a consultation, contact us for pricing and collaboration inquiries.
Additional Lab Resources
In addition to our endocannabinoid analytics and behavioral/metabolic phenotyping platforms, the Tam Laboratory houses several core systems that support high-throughput, precision analysis of metabolic biomarkers and sample preservation. These resources further strengthen our translational research capabilities and are available for collaborative use.
Biochemical Analysis
We operate the Roche Diagnostics Cobas® c 111 Analyzer, a compact yet high-performance system for pre-clinical chemistry and metabolic biomarker quantification. This fully automated, random-access analyzer supports over 40 photometric tests, including liver enzymes, renal function markers, electrolytes, lipids, glucose, and HbA1c, with results available in as little as 5–10 minutes.
Key features include:
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Up to 85 tests per hour throughput
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Minimal sample volume requirements (as low as 50 μL)
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Reliable and standardized results using Roche reagent chemistry
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Compatibility with serum, plasma, urine, and whole blood
This platform plays a key role in our metabolic profiling of preclinical models, helping to correlate physiological outcomes with molecular interventions. It also supports collaborative studies requiring biochemical validation of disease phenotypes or drug effects.
Body Composition Analysis: EchoMRI™-100H
The EchoMRI™-100H Body Composition Analyzer enables non-invasive, longitudinal measurements of:
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Fat mass
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Lean mass
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Free water
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Total body water
This high-throughput system provides rapid scan times (30 seconds to 3 minutes) and does not require anesthesia or sedation, allowing for serial assessments in live animals with minimal stress. We use it extensively to assess body composition changes in response to genetic, dietary, and pharmacological interventions across multiple disease models.
Key features include:
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Supports animals up to 100g
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Multiple custom holders (20–100g)
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Rapid warm-up and minimal calibration needs
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Available enhanced precision insert for small sample measurements
CCS1000 Benchtop Chiller System
For accurate downstream analysis of biofluids, we utilize the CCS1000 Benchtop Chiller (Hatteras Instruments) as part of our metabolic cage-based urine and feces collection workflows. This system maintains sample temperatures at ≤ 7°C, even in ambient room conditions, preserving analyte stability and preventing microbial growth.
Benefits include:
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Preservation of sample pH and metabolite integrity
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Evaporation prevention for longer-term collections
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Improved rodent comfort through cage base cooling
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Mobility and accessibility, thanks to compact design and caster wheels
This system ensures high-quality sample preservation for metabolomics, lipidomics, and biochemical assays, particularly in long-term metabolic studies.
Access and Collaboration
Researchers interested in leveraging our biochemical, body composition or chilled urine collection systems are welcome to collaborate with our lab. We offer:
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Sample processing and analysis
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Project design consultations
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Data interpretation support
Contact us for pricing and collaboration inquiries.