Animal/Virology Core

ABSTRACTThe Animal/Virology Core Laboratory is directed by a senior, experienced postdoctoral fellow,Dr. Rudragouda Channappanavar, under the guidance of the Core Director, Dr. Perlman. TheCore will be primarily based in a University of Iowa BSL3 laboratory that is equipped for tissueculture and animal work. Personnel working in the Core are experienced in virological and cellculture techniques and in handling, infecting and analyzing mice. The Animal/Virology Core hasseveral functions that are critical for success of this PO1 grant. 1. It will maintain colonies ofhDPP4-knock-in mice. 2. It will propagate and titer nonrecombinant and recombinant mouse-adapted and human strains of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV and will infect mice with theseviruses. 3. It will monitor mice for clinical disease and weight loss and will harvest tissue. 4. TheCore will prepare samples for histological and immunohistochemical analysis and will prepareRNA and protein from infected tissue. 5.The Core will analyze mice for virus-specific antibodyand T cell responses. 6. The Core will develop recombinant MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV usingBAC DNA clones prepared by the individual projects. The Core will also be responsible forensuring that protocols for working with animals and for working under BSL3 laboratoryconditions are up-to-date. While the Core will teach members of the Project methods importantfor analysis of mice under BSL3 conditions, it will primarily be responsible for performing most ofthese analyses. The Core will provide reagents and perform common assays efficiently, therebystandardizing results and enhancing synergistic interactions. Additionally, all projects willinteract with the Core, thereby facilitating interactions between members of the PPG. Byproviding these services, the Core will allow Program investigators to focus on issues related toMERS and SARS pathogenesis and to the development of anti-viral therapies and vaccines.