The scale of life’s diversity –of its past and present forms and function, is arguably as fascinating as the challenges that confront the researcher compelled by curiosity to understand how organisms work. Eco-Evolutionary physiology and its subset, the study of organismal energetics and behavior in a changing environment, is one of the essential disciplines that integrates ecological, physiological, biomedical and pharmacokinetic research. Indirect calorimetry is one of its most important methods. The metrics of O2 consumption, CO2 emission, water vapor and energy flux provide the substantive accounting for good predictive modeling – whether that modeling more accurately describes the range of a keystone species, or the physiological trade-offs involved in aging or the efficacy of treatments for disease.

For further reference, see Grand Challenges of Organismal Biology.

Salient Features

  • Highest accuracy in measurement of metabolic rate from microbes to whales
  • Highest resolution O2 analysis
  • Highest range and stability of CO2 measurement
  • Direct measurement of water vapor pressure
  • Exceptional accuracy in calculation of RQ

Sable Solutions

Classic Line

Sable Classic line instruments provide the ultimate combination of performance and flexibility in in the measurement and control of gas, flow, humidity, temperature and pressure. We offer a broad range of devices ... (more)

Promethion Core Line

The new Promethion Core™ is the first and only metabolic and behavioral measurement system that utilizes modern digital and computer technology to deliver the highest resolution data regardless of study size. This ... (more)

Promethion Line

Promethion systems capture synchronized metabolic and behavioral information, yielding a highly-resolved and uniquely rich data stream.  We offer multiplexed systems with multiple cages sharing a gas analyzer chain, offering cycle times up ... (more)

Contact Us

Our systems are highly customizable for a broad range of applications. Let us help configure a system to meet your specific research needs.

Relevant Publications

Careau, V., Hoye, B., O’Dwyer, T., & Buttemer, B. (2014). Among-and within-individual correlations between basal and maximal metabolic rates in birds. The Journal of experimental biology, jeb-108704.

Chen, C. C. W., & Welch, K. C. (2014). Hummingbirds can fuel expensive hovering flight completely with either exogenous glucose or fructose. Functional Ecology, 28(3), 589-600.

Dlugosz, E. M., Chappell, M. A., Meek, T. H., Szafrańska, P. A., Zub, K., Konarzewski, M., … & Garland, T. (2013). Phylogenetic analysis of mammalian maximal oxygen consumption during exercise. The Journal of experimental biology, 216(24), 4712-4721.

Jew, C. J., Wegner, N. C., Yanagitsuru, Y., Tresguerres, M., & Graham, J. B. (2013). Atmospheric oxygen levels affect mudskipper terrestrial performance: implications for early tetrapods. Integrative and comparative biology, ict034.

Ma, J., Benson, A. K., Kachman, S. D., Jacobsen, D. J., & Harshman, L. G. (2013). Drosophila melanogaster Selection for Survival after Infection with Bacillus cereus Spores: Evolutionary Genetic and Phenotypic Investigations of Respiration and Movement. International journal of evolutionary biology, 2013.

Maciak, S., Bonda‐Ostaszewska, E., Czarnołęski, M., Konarzewski, M., & Kozłowski, J. (2014). Mice divergently selected for high and low basal metabolic rates evolved different cell size and organ mass. Journal of evolutionary biology, 27(3), 478-487.

Wit, J., Sarup, P., Lupsa, N., Malte, H., Frydenberg, J., & Loeschcke, V. (2013). Longevity for free? Increased reproduction with limited trade-offs in Drosophila melanogaster selected for increased life span. Experimental gerontology, 48(3), 349-357.