VIROLOGY AND DRUG DISCOVERY CORE

The objectives of the Virology and Drug Discovery Core are to provide economy of scale through provision of shared resources; to facilitate academic and industrial collaborative development of HIV vaccines, and HIV prevention, therapeutic and diagnostic strategies through the provision of virologic/drug discovery expertise and services; to promote virology & drug discovery education and training opportunities for CFAR investigators and local, national and international AIDS investigators; to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among and between basic, clinical, and behavioral HIV/AIDS investigators locally, nationally and internationally.

CORE CONTACTS

Co-Directors:

Angela Caliendo, MD, PhD (Pre-Clinical & Clinical Virology)
Professor, Department of Pathology
Emory University School of Medicine
Emory Hospital Clinical Laboratory
Phone: 404-712-5721
Email: acalien@emory.edu

Raymond Schinazi, PhD, DSc (Drug Discovery)
Professor and Director, Department of Pediatrics
Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology
Emory University School of Medicine
Phone: 404-728-7711
Email: rschina@emory.edu

For Pre-Clinical and Clinical Virology Laboratory services, contact:

Jess Ingersoll
Laboratory Coordinator
Phone: 404-727-4483
E-mail: jessica.ingersoll@emoryhealthcare.org

For Drug Discovery services, contact:

Dana Ray
Research Project Coordinator
Phone: 404-728-7711
Email: dmray@emory.edu

VIRAL QUANTIFICATION SERVICES

•  HIV-1 RNA
•  HCV RNA
•  SHIV/SIV RNA
•  HIV -2 RNA
•  HIV 1 Proviral DNA

•  HBV DNA

MOLECULAR TESTING SERVICES

•  C. trachomatis</EM< li>
•  N. gonorrhoeae
•  T. vaginalis

RESISTANCE ASSAY SERVICES

•  HIV-1 genotypic drug resistance testing

•  HIV Phenotypic drug resistance testing
•  HIV, HBV and HCV genotyping
•  Selection of drug-resistant virus in vitro
•  Other phenotypic testing
•  Site directed mutagenesis for HIV-1, HIV-2, HCV, HBV, & SIV

DRUG DISCOVERY SERVICES

•  Intracellular drug uptake and egress
•  Quantification of drugs in cells, plasma, and other fluids
•  Bone marrow cytotoxicity assays
•  Mitochondrial toxicity and lactic acid assays
•  Other cell based toxicological assays on request
•  Pharmacokinetic and phamacodynamic analyses
•  Ability to characterize unknown metabolites by LC-MS-MS
•  Drug characterization and purification of compounds from natural product sources
•  Mechanistic and biochemical studies including determination of affinity of compounds for various viral and cellular enzymes
•  Other mechanistic studies on request (e.g., time of addition)
•  Nucleoside triphosphate synthesis
•  Cell based antiviral assays (HIV, HBV, HCV, herpes simplex viruses, and others on request)

FEES
Please inquire about fees specific for your request.

TRAINING
Training is available for the above assays and also for BL-2/3 practices. Please inquire for details, availability, and requirements.

CORE FACILITIES
The core has the following dedicated and fully equipped laboratories:

•  Biosafety Level-2 and 3
•  PCR/Molecular Diagnostics
•  Drug Discovery

The Emory Vaccine Center has five scientific cores, each specializing in a particular research function such as laboratory assays or vaccine trials management. The cores are funded through various sources, and hence function somewhat differently, but all are vital to the vaccine research process at Emory and at other institutions throughout the U.S. and the world.