Sable Systems
@sablesys.bsky.social
Thoughts, visions & revisions from John Lighton PhD, president & chief innovation officer of Sable Systems International (=the world's most advanced metabolic measurement systems)
A student in our advanced metabolic phenotyping course gets instruction from Dr. Thomas Förster on using the incredibly powerful, custom interactive macro generation mode of our data analysis system. Promethion files are a goldmine of data! 🧪
October 30, 2025 at 4:52 PM
A student in our advanced metabolic phenotyping course gets instruction from Dr. Thomas Förster on using the incredibly powerful, custom interactive macro generation mode of our data analysis system. Promethion files are a goldmine of data! 🧪
Everyone in the Sable Systems metabolic phenotyping course gets a personalized copy of my definitive textbook of metabolic measurement (published by Oxford University Press, 2nd edition) plus a completion certificate. Quite a few to sign! What a pleasure 👊❤️
October 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Everyone in the Sable Systems metabolic phenotyping course gets a personalized copy of my definitive textbook of metabolic measurement (published by Oxford University Press, 2nd edition) plus a completion certificate. Quite a few to sign! What a pleasure 👊❤️
In our latest metabolic phenotyping course, taught as always by true experts in the field, Dr. Marshall McCue (our very stable isotope expert) enthralls the eager course attendees with his discussion of the thermal neutral zone 😎 1/2
October 28, 2025 at 10:58 PM
In our latest metabolic phenotyping course, taught as always by true experts in the field, Dr. Marshall McCue (our very stable isotope expert) enthralls the eager course attendees with his discussion of the thermal neutral zone 😎 1/2
Strange times indeed 
October 26, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Strange times indeed 
This classic work by Regnault & Reiset was published in 1849. It conclusively showed that correcting metabolic rate for body mass by dividing by body mass is a worthless & misleading technique. They knew better, unlike the legacy metabolic phenotyping companies today!
October 24, 2025 at 4:44 PM
This classic work by Regnault & Reiset was published in 1849. It conclusively showed that correcting metabolic rate for body mass by dividing by body mass is a worthless & misleading technique. They knew better, unlike the legacy metabolic phenotyping companies today!
For those select few who need a Venus of Willendorf candle to brighten their lives, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that such a candle exists. The bad news is it is only to be found on San Juan Island in Washington state.
August 3, 2025 at 2:56 AM
For those select few who need a Venus of Willendorf candle to brighten their lives, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that such a candle exists. The bad news is it is only to be found on San Juan Island in Washington state.
A bit late to the party, but staying at the Hotel Ambassador is highly recommended. Many beautiful memories of that hotel & its surroundings in the heart of Geneva 😎
July 31, 2025 at 11:11 PM
A bit late to the party, but staying at the Hotel Ambassador is highly recommended. Many beautiful memories of that hotel & its surroundings in the heart of Geneva 😎
Personally, I like the simple, intuitive graphs I showed above. However, if you want your energy allocation analysis technique to look frightfully advanced, you can obfuscate things a bit by making AcEE ride on top of AdEE, as here: /14
June 20, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Personally, I like the simple, intuitive graphs I showed above. However, if you want your energy allocation analysis technique to look frightfully advanced, you can obfuscate things a bit by making AcEE ride on top of AdEE, as here: /14
Sure enough, we see a substantial increase in AdEE as the mouse burns more fuel to maintain its internal temperature at 19°C. Finally, 19°C: /11
June 20, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Sure enough, we see a substantial increase in AdEE as the mouse burns more fuel to maintain its internal temperature at 19°C. Finally, 19°C: /11
(Note the lower AdEE than at 23°C, because 25°C is warmer.) And now 21°C (you saw the 23°C data earlier), where we expect the AdEE to increase: /10
June 20, 2025 at 10:10 PM
(Note the lower AdEE than at 23°C, because 25°C is warmer.) And now 21°C (you saw the 23°C data earlier), where we expect the AdEE to increase: /10
This is the temperature at which many mouse studies take place. Note the substantial AdEE! Does your experimental protocol affect BEE, AdEE, or AcEE? With the Promethion system, you can distinguish them! Here comes a series, first showing 25°C: 9/
June 20, 2025 at 10:10 PM
This is the temperature at which many mouse studies take place. Note the substantial AdEE! Does your experimental protocol affect BEE, AdEE, or AcEE? With the Promethion system, you can distinguish them! Here comes a series, first showing 25°C: 9/
AdEE raises the mouse's EE above BEE, proportionally to the drop in temperature relative to the TNZ. (Holy acronyms, Batman!) An example, with AdEE shown in pink, at a typical lab temperature of 23°C: 8/
June 20, 2025 at 10:10 PM
AdEE raises the mouse's EE above BEE, proportionally to the drop in temperature relative to the TNZ. (Holy acronyms, Batman!) An example, with AdEE shown in pink, at a typical lab temperature of 23°C: 8/
An important point: In the TNZ, the animal does not have to expend extra energy to maintain its body temperature at its setpoint of 37°C. It's just cruising along, maintaining homeostasis & fighting entropy. Here’s what that looks like: 4/
June 20, 2025 at 10:10 PM
An important point: In the TNZ, the animal does not have to expend extra energy to maintain its body temperature at its setpoint of 37°C. It's just cruising along, maintaining homeostasis & fighting entropy. Here’s what that looks like: 4/
So delighted & privileged to attend the David Wasserman memorial lecture day at Vanderbilt. A most valued collaborator, colleague, advisor & friend, lost far too soon. May his memory be a blessing.
June 13, 2025 at 2:33 PM
So delighted & privileged to attend the David Wasserman memorial lecture day at Vanderbilt. A most valued collaborator, colleague, advisor & friend, lost far too soon. May his memory be a blessing.
The Yuccas are in bloom at the Sable Systems Mojave Desert proving grounds, a.k.a. the compound
May 21, 2025 at 3:13 PM
The Yuccas are in bloom at the Sable Systems Mojave Desert proving grounds, a.k.a. the compound
A couple of scenes from our ongoing precision metabolic phenotyping course at the Sable Systems International mothership- the classroom during one of our enthralling lectures, and part of the wide selection of delicious lunch items 😎
May 15, 2025 at 8:06 PM
A couple of scenes from our ongoing precision metabolic phenotyping course at the Sable Systems International mothership- the classroom during one of our enthralling lectures, and part of the wide selection of delicious lunch items 😎
Just personalized & signed my definitive textbook on measuring metabolic rates for the attendees of the latest Sable Systems precision metabolic phenotyping course. A great group of international attendees from CROs, core facilities, individual labs & pharma companies. Such networking! 🧪
May 14, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Just personalized & signed my definitive textbook on measuring metabolic rates for the attendees of the latest Sable Systems precision metabolic phenotyping course. A great group of international attendees from CROs, core facilities, individual labs & pharma companies. Such networking! 🧪
Rather blurry iPhone picture of sunset at the Sable Systems Mojave desert proving grounds, a.k.a. the compound, featuring our moon & a moon of our sun, Venus
February 2, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Rather blurry iPhone picture of sunset at the Sable Systems Mojave desert proving grounds, a.k.a. the compound, featuring our moon & a moon of our sun, Venus
Behold methane production (top trace) & CO2 production against a background of classroom CO2, in a single cockroach. Yes, you are seeing cockroach flatulence! Interesting for microbiome science. We can measure CH4 & 13C (in CO2) in practically any animal of any size. 🧪
January 31, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Behold methane production (top trace) & CO2 production against a background of classroom CO2, in a single cockroach. Yes, you are seeing cockroach flatulence! Interesting for microbiome science. We can measure CH4 & 13C (in CO2) in practically any animal of any size. 🧪
On to stable isotopes in the course! Top trace = CO2 production; bottom trace = 13C from labeled bicarbonate in the CO2, both from the mouse in the standard small mouse chamber below the screen. A nice washout trace showing 13C-labeled bicarbonate leaving as CO2 in the mouse's breath 🧪
January 31, 2025 at 6:35 PM
On to stable isotopes in the course! Top trace = CO2 production; bottom trace = 13C from labeled bicarbonate in the CO2, both from the mouse in the standard small mouse chamber below the screen. A nice washout trace showing 13C-labeled bicarbonate leaving as CO2 in the mouse's breath 🧪
Imagine! If you were attending the current Sable Systems metabolic measurement course, you could be looking forward to this fine charcuterie at our first-day happy hour, which begins very soon!
January 29, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Imagine! If you were attending the current Sable Systems metabolic measurement course, you could be looking forward to this fine charcuterie at our first-day happy hour, which begins very soon!
Great news! Your grant review panel is now in session 🧪
January 28, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Great news! Your grant review panel is now in session 🧪
Hopi, our emergency backup dog
January 14, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Hopi, our emergency backup dog