Biomarkers Advance Technology Core

Project Summary The Biomarker and Advanced Technology Core provides cutting edge and innovative technologies and consultations to advance the basic science and translational research of ERC-CFAR investigators studying HIV and its clinical and behavioral manifestations, particularly focused on the overarching goal of the ERC- CFAR to prevent new HIV-1 infections. The Core focus was developed in response to the identified needs of ERC-CFAR investigators and those expanding their research to include HIV. It is also highly responsive to the goals of the three SWIGs and other Cores. The Core provides an array of services focused on assays for biomarker identification and characterization, as well as the development of advanced technologies to meet the articulated research needs of its investigators. The Core will analyze patient and animal fluids, including sera, plasma, CSF, and cervical-vaginal lavage fluid, as well as tissue culture supernatants and cell lysates for quantification of specific mediators using high-throughput multiplex platforms and focused ELISAs. The Core provides molecular assays for quantification of viral RNA and DNA, including DNA and RNA extractions, RT- qPCR, PCR, and single cell digital PCR to identify latent HIV-infected cells that require exquisitely sensitive assays for detection, especially in cells and tissues from HIV infected people on cART. The Core prepares and provides HIV isolates and cell lines that express reporter genes that enable sensitive and specific quantification and localization of infection. The Core offers cutting edge real-time video imaging studies for analysis of HIV- infected cells and unfixed tissues, and provides biosafety containment for processing and analyzing samples containing HIV that is a critical requirement of ERC-CFAR investigators. The Core will meet the needs of many ERC-CFAR investigators for the production of large quantities of purified proteins, including specific cytokines and antibodies that would be too costly from commercial sources for in vivo studies. The Core is developing high-throughput assays for identifying novel factors and compounds that activate latent HIV infection. The Aims are: 1. To provide investigators with the infrastructure and optimized technologies and protocols to support their HIV prevention studies; 2. To provide investigators with technological support to investigate and evaluate novel approaches to achieve a functional cure for HIV; 3. To provide a centralized resource for supporting HIV pathogenesis studies; 4. To transfer new technologies from individual ERC-CFAR research labs or from labs at other institutions into the BATC to make them broadly available to ERC-CFAR members; 5. To train ERC- CFAR investigators in molecular and cellular techniques for HIV research. .