Infectious Disease Research

Model Development

Several animal models are available for the evaluation of vaccines and chemotherapeutics for efficacy against emerging pathogens and biothreat agents. We have appropriate ABSL-2 and ABSL-3 animal facilities to safely conduct studies in a time-efficient manner. Please contact us to further discuss your research needs.

Bacteriology Animal Model Evaluations

Using either in-house or client-specified models of infection, we can test the clinical efficacy of your antimicrobial compound in vivo.

Herpesvirus Animal Model Evaluations

Active compounds or potential vaccines can be evaluated in a variety of animal models including HSV-1, HSV-2 and HCMV murine models. Vaccines, compounds and virus can be administered by a variety of methods and routes. Quantitation of results in these models may be performed by a variety of methods, including visual lesion scoring, quantitative PCR, quantitative and bulk co-cultivation assays, plasma cocultivation assays, antigen and antibody detection assays, flow cytometry, as well as hematology and CBC evaluation. Implementation of previously developed or development of new herpesvirus models may also be possible upon request.

Immunology Animal Model Evaluations

One of our strengths is the ability to perform immunogenicty studies with vaccines, adjuvants, cytokines, etc. in various animal model systems including non-human primates and mice, as well as detailed analysis of vaccine-induced humoral and cell-mediated immune responses.

Retrovirus Animal Model Evaluations

We offer pre-clinical in-vivo testing models for both drug and vaccine development for numerous viral agents. These include HIV/AIDS, hepatitis A, B and E, and alphaviruses. We also have models for select agents such as tularemia, anthrax, pox virus and encephalitis viruses. These models used rodent, avian and macaque models of human diseases. Agents requiring special handling procedures are routinely used in the facility. We have containment levels up to full BSL-3 isolation for all species and highly trained laboratory and personnel. Recent studies involving SIV/SHIV have focuses on mucosal transmission models for both topical microbicides and vaccine development. In addition we have developed capabilities to test multi-drug therapeutic regimes in SIV/SHIV infected macaques.

HIV active compounds can be evaluated in a variety of animal models including the hollow fiber HIV model and/or the HIV/SIV/SHIV non-human primate models (macaques). Compounds and virus can be administered by a variety of methods and routes. Our laboratories are actively involved in the evaluation of anti-HIV vaccines, vaccine therapeutics and drug therapies in non-human primates. Quantitation of results in these models may be performed by a variety of methods, including quantitative PCR, quantitative and bulk co-cultivation assays, plasma co-cultivation assays, antigen and antibody detection assays, lymphocyte proliferation, intracellular cytokines, flow cytometry, as well as hematology and CBC evaluation.