Virology and Immunology Technology Core

Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section The Virology and Immunology Technology Core (VITC) has a mission, which is congruent with Overall Aim 1, to support the HIV research community across Chicago in rigorously characterizing biological mechanisms, enabling discovery of still-needed interventions and diagnostic approaches that improve prevention, treatment and cure of HIV and its non-AIDS comorbidities. This mission is met by addressing VITC’s three aims to: 1) provide and update state-of-the-art HIV/SIV-relevant assays / analyses; 2) provide continuously improved HIV/SIV-specific model systems and expertise; and 3) strategically plan and implement project / career guidance, and collaborative opportunities. We are enhancing resources, consultation and training for team at Northwestern University (NU), the University of Chicago (UC), Rush University (RU) and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). VITC leadership has just been refreshed with a new Director starting prior to the proposed renewal, Dr. Abdel-Mohsen. The experienced founding Director, Dr. Hope, will continue as Co-Director. The Data Insight Group (Drs. Hultquist and Lorenzo Redondo) has been highly successful in providing analytical expertise for a wide range of -omics and systems biology approaches and will continue in those roles. VITC also adds a Co-Director for neuropathogenesis, Dr. Al-Harthi, and a Co-Investigator, Dr. Wallace; both are at RU and have connections and expertise that strongly complements the other VITC faculty. The Approach to study virus-host interactions includes building on the highly successful functional genomics services and consultations on gene knock-out, gene knock-in, gene inhibition, gene activation in activated primary T cells, resting primary T cells, tissue-resident primary T cells, primary macrophages, and air-liquid interface epithelium. State-of-the-art imaging, particularly deconvolution and light sheet microscopy, supports many NIH projects and DC awards on biomedical prevention. Unique imaging expertise has been, and continues to be, “multi-scale imaging” from the living animal to cells/tissues and electron microscopy. This, and NHP model expertise, enables PET/CT-guided necropsy that is advancing with unique applications of spatial transcriptomics to study SIV persistence on-ART and rebound off-ART in infected macaques. HIV/SIV virology and reservoir assays will continue expanding and improving to meet user needs, including with adaptations of QVOA, IPDA and TILDA as well as multiple assays for cell-associated and virion nucleic acids. Nanopore sequencing is a strength for reservoir research. Comorbidity research benefits from new expertise on aging biology (protein glycosylation modifications, gut/microbiome interactions) and introduction of experimental models, including non-fetal tissue based humanized mice and human tissue organoids. The Core will start an interest group catalyzing a new HIV Cure SWG, as well as actively supporting assay needs and proposal development of the Slowing Aging Across the Lifespan for Persons with HIV (SAIL HIV) SWG. VITC will synergize with the other Cores and enable discoveries that inform still-needed interventions to end HIV.