The Clinical Nutrition Research Unit (CNRU) has been designed to promote and enhance the interdisciplinary nutrition research and education at the University of Washington.  By providing a number of Core Facilities, the CNRU attempts to integrate and coordinate the abundant ongoing activities with the goals of fostering new interdisciplinary research collaborations, stimulating new research activities, improving nutrition education at multiple levels, and facilitating the nutritional management of patients.  Five Core facilities are available for use by Affiliate Investigators, who are broadly dispersed throughout several Schools and numerous departments and divisions within the University of Washington.