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Principal Investigator: Farhang Alem
Organization: GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
Fiscal Year: 2023
Award: $717,476
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
BIOCONTAINMENT RESEACRCH SERVICES: ABSTRACT
Each of the twelve NIAID funded Regional Biocontainment Laboratories (RBLs) have
distinguishing and complementary research capabilities to advance infectious disease and
biodefense research. George Mason University’s (GMU)’s RBL, also known as the Biomedical
Research Laboratory (BRL) has focused on the integration and development of organ-on-a-chip
(OOC) models in containment to bridge in vitro and animal model testing for therapeutics and
vaccine product screening and evaluation. Furthermore, GMU has a comprehensive suite of
advanced research instrumentation to support BSL-3 pathogen and select agent aerosol
exposures in small animals as well as organ, tissue, and molecular level analysis of challenge
studies. These capabilities in containment are complemented by GMU’s expertise in
proteomics, metabolomics, and nanotechnology as well as a track record of developing platform
technologies that have transitioned from the bench to market.
The proposed Biocontainment Research Support Services Core at GMU will include 1) a
Microphysiological systems (MPS) core and 2) an Advanced Animal Research (AAR) core.
The MPS platforms will represent at least nine different organ systems with representation by
relevant human-derived cell types for at least twelve priority viral and bacterial pathogens.
Accompanying assays including the limit of detection for pathogen quantification, inflammatory
burden, and organ damage in the context of infection will be developed for each model.
Additional high throughput organ-on-a-chip (OOC) and organoid platforms integrated in the core
will provide added functionality, validation of results through multiple platforms, and accelerated
discovery. The AAR core will integrate a comprehensive set of state-of-the-art technologies and
infectious disease expertise to accelerate countermeasure development through cutting-edge
approaches for lead optimization, dosing, toxicity screens, safety assessment, efficacy, immune
modulation, and biodistribution.
The cores will be staffed with research scientists in the BRL to support internal investigators and
serve as a resource for the RBL network and partners from pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies; federal, state, and local agencies; and academic institutions conducting infectious
disease and biodefense research and countermeasure development.
Terms: <2019 novel corona virus><2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><Acceleration><Address><Aerosols><Animal Experimental Use><Animal Experimentation><Animal Model><Animal Models and Related Studies><Animal Research><Animals><Antigens><Assay><B abortus><B anthracis><B mallei><B melitensis><B pseudomallei><B. abortus><B. anthracis><B. mallei><B. melitensis><B. pseudomallei><Bacillus anthracis><Bioassay><Biodistribution><Biologic Assays><Biologic Models><Biological Assay><Biological Models><Biomedical Research><Biotech><Biotechnology><Body Tissues><Brucella abortus><Brucella melitensis><Brucella melitensis biovar abortus><Burkholderia mallei><Burkholderia pseudomallei><CHIKV><COVID-19 virus><COVID19 virus><Chikungunya virus><Clinical><Clinical Trials><CoV-2><CoV2><Communicable Diseases><Complement><Complement Proteins><Containment><Coronaviridae><Coronavirus><DNA><Deoxyribonucleic Acid><Development><Diagnostic><Dose><EEE Virus><Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus><Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus><Evaluation><F tularensis><F. tularensis><Francisella tularensis><Funding><Human><Immunomodulation><In Vitro><Infection><Infectious Disease Pathway><Infectious Diseases><Infectious Diseases / Laboratory><Infectious Diseases Research><Infectious Disorder><Inflammatory><Institution><Investigational Drugs><Investigational New Drugs><Investigators><Japanese B Encephalitis Virus><Japanese encephalitis virus><Laboratories><Laboratory Research><M tb><M tuberculosis><M. tb><M. tuberculosis><Marketing><Middle Eastern><Model System><Modeling><Modern Man><Modernization><Molecular><Mycobacterium tuberculosis><NIAID><Nanotechnology><National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease><New Drug Approvals><Organ><Organ System><Organoids><P mallei><P pseudomallei><P. mallei><P. pseudomallei><Particulate><Pasteurella pestis><Pasteurella tularensis><Pathogen detection><Peer Review><Pharmaceutical Agent><Pharmaceuticals><Pharmacologic Substance><Pharmacological Substance><Position><Positioning Attribute><Process><Product Approvals><Proteins><Proteomics><Pseudomonas mallei><Pseudomonas pseudomallei><Publishing><RNA delivery><Research><Research Personnel><Research Priority><Research Resources><Research Support><Researchers><Resources><Rift Valley fever virus><SARS Virus><SARS corona virus><SARS corona virus 2><SARS coronavirus><SARS-Associated Coronavirus><SARS-CO-V2><SARS-COVID-2><SARS-CoV><SARS-CoV-1><SARS-CoV-2><SARS-CoV2><SARS-Related Coronavirus><SARS-associated corona virus 2><SARS-associated coronavirus 2><SARS-coronavirus-2><SARS-related corona virus 2><SARS-related coronavirus 2><SARSCoV2><Scientist><Services><Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus><Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Corona Virus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome corona virus><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-associated coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome associated corona virus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome related corona virus 2><Technology><Testing><Tissues><Toxic effect><Toxicities><Training><Universities><VEE virus><VEEV><Vaccines><Validation><Venezuelan Equine Encephalitic Virus><Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus><Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus><Virus><WEE Virus><WEEV><Western Equine Encephalitic Virus><Western Equine Encephalitis Virus><Western Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus><Wuhan coronavirus><Y pestis><Y. pestis><Yellow fever virus><Yersinia pestis><animal experimentations><animal imaging><animal rule><anthracis><anti-microbial peptide><antimicrobial peptide><bacteria pathogen><bacterial pathogen><biodefense><body system><cell type><corona virus><coronavirus disease 2019 virus><coronavirus disease-19 virus><detection limit><developmental><diagnostic tool><expectation><fortification><hCoV19><human disease><immune modulation><immune regulation><immunogen><immunologic reactivity control><immunomodulatory><immunoregulation><immunoregulatory><in vivo><in vivo Model><instrumentation><lead optimization><lipid based nanoparticle><lipid nanoparticle><medical countermeasure><metabolism measurement><metabolomics><metabonomics><microphysiologic model><microphysiologic platform><microphysiologic system><microphysiology model><microphysiology platform><microphysiology system><model of animal><mtb><nCoV2><nano particle><nano tech><nano technology><nano-sized particle><nano-technological><nanoparticle><nanosized particle><nanotech><nanotechnological><new diagnostics><next generation diagnostics><novel diagnostics><organ development><organ growth><organ on a chip><organ on chip><pandemic disease preparedness><pandemic planning><pandemic preparedness><pandemic readiness><pathogen><pathogenic bacteria><pathogenic virus><pharmaceutical><pre-clinical><pre-clinical development><pre-clinical study><preclinical><preclinical development><preclinical study><preservation><priority pathogen><product development><research faculty><respiratory><safety assessment><screening><screenings><severe acute respiratory syndrome-CoV><small molecule therapeutics><success><technology platform><technology system><therapeutic evaluation><therapeutic testing><validations><viral pathogen><virus pathogen>