In their recent study, researchers in the Witney Lab developed an innovative imaging tracer capable of identifying shifts in how our body uses fats for energy. Carnitine is a molecule that is essential for transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria to supply the cell with energy. By labeling carnitine with a radioactive tag, the team has, for the first time, revealed its role in energy production within living organisms.

The study’s co-first authors are Richard Edwards, former Research Fellow in the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, and Ella-May Hards, former Ph.D. student in the Witney Lab led by Prof. Tim Witney. The study was selected as the cover article for Advanced Science.