Biocontainment Research Support Service(s) Core

PROJECT ABSTRACT (Core 3/C3ResearchSupport@HTRL) The Howard T. Ricketts Laboratory (HTRL) takes pride in its mission to provide a safe and secure environment for cutting-edge Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases research, under the support and supervision of professionals with over 20 years of experience and under the umbrella of Core 3 (C3ResearchSupport@HTRL). The three aims of C3ResearchSupport@HTRL are to: (1) offer professional research services for the isolation and characterization of a wide range of RG3/Select Agent pathogens (sub- core C3Microbiology@HTRL); (2) offer professional research services in animal modelling of infection (sub- core C3AnimalModels@HTRLB); (3) offer hands-on A/BSL3 training to Core 3 Users (sub-core C3Training@HTRL). All these services will be advertised on the HTRL web page and will be rendered following free consultation. C3ResearchSupport@HTRL draws on the extensive expertise of Drs. Ahmed and Khader (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), Glenn Randall (RNA viruses) and Dominique Missiakas (Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Rickettsia sp.) at the University of Chicago. C3ResearchSupport@HTRL will operate in collaboration with the RBL network, drawing on the expertise of 11 sister laboratories to provide broad research support, implement contingency plans, and ensure a prompt response in the event of imminent health threats to the nation. Briefly, C3Microbiology@HTRL will provide high-end technologies and expertise toward the isolation and characterization of RG3 pathogens (biochemical, genetic, phenotypic characterizations including antibiotic resistance profiles), the standardization of growth assays to test small molecule inhibitors, the study of pathogen interactions with host cells. C3AnimalModels@HTRL will provide standardized, high quality small animal models of infection for the development of countermeasures and for the study of host responses. C3Training@HTRL will offer Users of Core 3 an opportunity to receive basic instructions on biosafety, biosecurity, regulatory processes for the handling of high-risk pathogens, SOPs, and safe laboratory practice in BSL3. C3ResearchSupport@HTRL aims to provide pristine expertise to support research in response to new pandemics or biodefense threats on our nation or world-wide.