University of Louisville Regional Biocontainment Laboratory

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Contact Information

Director: Igor Lukashevich, M.D., Ph.D.
Email: isluka01@exchange.louisville.edu
Website: http://louisville.edu/predictivemedicine

Animal Capabilities, including species and containment level

Small animal models (ABSL2 and ABSL3 containment levels)

  • Mice
  • Cotton rats
  • Hamsters
  • Guinea pigs
  • Rats
  • Ferrets
  • Rabbits

Animal Models, including species, disease, and delivery method

  • Arenaviruses (Junin, strain Candid #1; LCMV-WE, strain 54; LCMV-ARM, strain 53b; Mopeia, strain An20410; Mopeia/Lassa reassortant, clone ML29; Tacaribe; Flexal; Pirital) – Suckling, Adult Mice, Guinea Pig, Aseptic Meningitis, Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever, Intracranial, Intraperitoneal, Subcutaneous
  • Dengue virus – Mice, Dengue Fever, Intracranial, Subcutaneous
  • Hantaviruses – Suckling, Adult Mice, Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome, Intracranial, intraperitoneal
  • Influenza Viruses (H1N1, H3N2, H5N1, H7N2, H7N7) – Mice, Ferret, Guinea Pig, Flu, Intranasal, Intratracheal
  • Chikungunya (CHIKV 181/25), Western and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis viruses (WEEV, VEEV) – Suckling, Adult Mice, Intracranial, Subcutaneous
  • Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) – Mice, Viral Encephalitis, Intracranial, Subcutaneous
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) – Mice, cotton rats, ferrets, Pulmonary, Intranasal
  • SARS Coronavirus (SARS CoV) – Mice, Ferrets, SARS, Intranasal
  • Yellow Fever 17D – Mice, Yellow Fever, Intracranial, Subcutaneous
  • West Nile Viruses (WNV) – Mice, Hamsters, Viral Encephalitis, Subcutaneous
  • Yersinia pestis – Mice, Plague, Subcutaneous, Intranasal, Intradermal
  • Burkholderia – Mice, Hamsters, Glanders (mallei), Melioidosis (pseudomallei), Intranasal, intraperitoneal, Intramuscular, Intratracheal, Intubation-mediated intratracheal (IMIT)
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR) – Mice, Pulmonary, IMIT

Pathogens

Select Agents

SARS-CoV, Influenza viruses (HPAI), Junin virus, Eastern and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis viruses, Francisella tularemia, Burkholderia, Yersinia pestis

Other Pathogens

MERS-CoV, Hantaviruses, Dengue virus, Arenaviruses (Junin, strain Candid #1; LCMV-WE, strain 54; LCMV-ARM, strain 53b; Mopeia, strain An20410; Mopeia/Lassa reassortant, clone ML29; Tacaribe; Flexal; Pirital), RSV, West Nile Viruses, Chikungunya virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Western Equine Encephalitis virus, Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR), Klebsiella pnuemoniae carbapenemase, Salmonella species

Imaging Capabilities

Live animal imaging of pathogen infection cycles at ABSL3 in target infected tissues by CAT scan, positron emission tomography (PET), single proton emission CT (SPECT), and/or optical detection of fluorescence or bioluminescence (IVIS). Live cell-based imaging with Zeiss 710/Live 5.

Laboratory and Analytical Support

  • Immunology services: The immunology core supports detection of targets using FACS ARIA, Luminex FM3D, ELISA, neutralization methodologies
  • Pathology services: Animal Models of Infectious Diseases Core supports gross pathology, histopathology, hematology, and immunostaining.
  • Microbiology services: High Throughput Biology Core supports qRT-PCR detection of pathogen and host genes in 96 and 384 well formats, sequencing, screening of small molecules or other biologics such as siRNA. Animal Models of Infectious Diseases Core supports classical and modern methods for detection of viruses in animal models such as TCID50, EID50, plaque assay and ELISA. Virus preparation and viral antigen preparation available.

Ability To Accommodate cGLP or cGMP Studies?

Yes, completed expansion of the RBL facilities provide opportunities to conduct investigational new drug (IND)-enabling and vaccine studies under good laboratory practice (GLP). The preclinical infrastructure provides real-time data upload (e.g., Provantis™) with the ability to move toward GLP as required by product development.

Specialized Areas or Major Equipment Available

Specialized areas now available: 1) Imaging (CT, PET, SPECT), live confocal microscopy; 2) Animal Model Development; 3) Microbiology; 4) Immunology; 5) High throughput technologies.

Equipment: Tecan, Synergy IV, Luminex, FACS Aria, Zeiss 710/Live 5, Siemens Trimodal, IVIS, Hemavet, Piccolo>

Shared Resources That Amplify and Expand Research Capabilities

University of Louisville has next generation sequencing, proteomic and metabolomics cores, and transgenic mice facilities.

Content last reviewed on November 14, 2016