Biospecimen Collection Core

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract - Biospecimen Collection Core Understanding the human virome requires engagement of participants that accurately reflect average health status of targeted populations; stringency of sample collection, storage and management to ensure authentic, accurate and rigorous findings; and approaches that can elucidate relationships among virome communities in different biological niches and stability or evolution in the virome over time. Thus, the mission of the Biospecimen Collection Core is to provide high quality specimens from well-phenotyped generally healthy participants accurately reflecting community populations for studies to characterize the human virome and understand its nature over space and time in priority niches identified by the NIH Human Virome Initiative. In our proposal we will focus on key sites identified by the HVP VCC RFA because of the biogeographical relationship among them, our team’s experience and expertise, and several rich and unique existing cohorts and in-hand biorepositories enabling immediate initiation of virome analysis combined: Oral (including dental), Respiratory Tract (including both lung and upper respiratory tract), Gut (reflected in fecal) and Blood. To achieve Biospecimen Collection Core mission we will: (1) Leverage existing biobanked specimens of generally healthy US children and adults for immediate initiation and scale-up of cross-sectional and archived longitudinal sample virome characterization; (2) Access and re-enroll children and adults from established cohorts, including those linked to the existing biobanks, for prospective virome sample collection and characterization with clinical phenotyping for expanded body site and extended longitudinal sample analysis; (3) Implement high quality sample collection, including high stringency collection with key controls and reference samples in challenging biological niches, to ensure optimal rigor and reproducibility through valid, authentic representation of targeted sites, along with optimal handling and storage, and (4) Collaborate with the Biospecimen Analysis and Data Analysis & Submission Cores to link virome data to clinical and sample collection metadata; with the Ethical Legal & Social Implications Core to ensure rigorous ethics of participant involvement, data use and studies relevant to human virome research; and with other VCCs within the HVP program to provide integrated cross-center virome analysis to amplify scale and impact.