Immunology/Influenza Virology Core

Univ Of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The overall objective of this core is to provide large-scale immunology and influenza Virology support to enhance the product development activities of the center investigators. The core will provide multiplex cytokine/chemokine profiling, high-throughput humoral response monitoring via antigen-specific ELISA and Surface Plasmon Resonance, and provide comprehensive influenza virology support (viral stocks, titers and neutralization assays). To accomplish this goal the expertise and efforts of Dr. Sempowski's cellular immunology lab and Dr. Ramsburg's viral-immunology lab have been combined. The inclusion on an Immunology/Influenza Virology Core will-provide a common set of platforms for mechanistic analysis of host immune response for all three center investigators. The use of ELISA/SPR will allow for monitoring host response to both experimental vaccines/adjuvants and challenge pathogens. Blood, tissue and culture supernatant inflammatory biomarker analysis will provide further valuable insight into specific host responses which will only enhance the challenge and mechanistic studies proposed by center projects to develop nanopartical vaccines and therapeutics to Flu and Dengue. Lastly, the inclusion of a centralized lab for maintenance of influenza virus strains and tittered stocks for all projects will allow for uniform flu studies across all projects. Moreover, the influenza support lab will work closely with investigators and collaborators to ensure standardized execution of influenza viral titers and neutralizing antibody responses to influenza.