Core Support Facilities

Molecular Virology Core

Bryan R. Cullen, Director

Feng Gao, Co-Director

Georgia D. Tomaras, Co-Director

To serve the growing needs of Duke investigators involved in basic and clinical translational research on HIV and associated Opportunistic Infections, this Core is comprised of

a BSL-3 Virology Laboratory
an HIV/AIDS DNA Sequence Analysis Component
Molecular Construct/RNA Interference Technologies

Goals of the Molecular Virology Core are to:

Facilitate the implementation and validation of molecular virology assays, DNA sequencing, and virologic assays in CFAR laboratories through shared resources in a cost efficient manner
Provide state-of-the-art support for RNA interference analysis of the role of specific human genes in the replication and pathogenesis of HIV-1 or opportunistic infections
Stimulate interdisciplinary collaborations within academia and industry to further improve the technology offered by the Core and to provide a solid resource on which collaborations can be fostered
Provide education and training opportunities to CFAR scientists in existing and newly developed virologic methodologies.

To achieve these aims, the Molecular Virology Core is committed to maintaining a high quality of reagents and data through multiple QA/QC procedures, as well as establishing a virologic resource that is based on the current and future scientific needs of CFAR investigators.