Microbiology, Immunology, Animal Modeling and Imaging

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ABSTRACT – JHU TRAC Microbiology, Immunology, Animal Modeling and Imaging (MIAMI) Core The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) TRAC Microbiology, Immunology, Animal Modeling and Imaging (MIAMI) Core, comprising laboratories primarily within the Johns Hopkins Center for Tuberculosis Research (CTR) and the Center for Infection and Inflammation Imaging Research (Ci3R), will offer a broad panel of laboratory-based tools to support the mission of the JHU TRAC. Headed by Co-Directors Drs. William Bishai and Sanjay Jain and assisted by a Core faculty of 10 additional highly accomplished tuberculosis (TB) and non-TB investigators, the MIAMI Core will provide decades of combined research and mentoring expertise, as well as access to cutting-edge laboratory technologies to enable training opportunities in and support for TB research in: (a) Microbiology, molecular genetics and biosafety level-3 (BSL3) handling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis; (b) Immunologic tools to assess host responses to TB infection and diseases; and (c) Multiple clinically-relevant animal models of TB (mouse, guinea pig, and rabbit), alongside the capacity to conduct in vivo imaging with CT, PET, and SPECT. The MIAMI Core will assist New Investigators (NI) and Early Stage Investigators (ESI) in planning, executing and interpreting the data from all preclinical studies, including small animal models of TB, mouse breeding, advanced whole-body live in vivo imaging approaches, metabolomics, and single-cell RNA (scRNA) sequencing. In addition to standard aspects of laboratory-based research on M. tuberculosis microbiology, immunology and pathogenesis, the MIAMI core will provide added value by offering novel topics (e.g., TB-HIV co-infection, environmental exposures and TB susceptibility, sex differences in TB susceptibility, and advanced animal imaging), which are not currently available through the CTR and are unique to the JHU TRAC. Furthermore, we will leverage numerous independent and institutional grants to further strengthen basic science capabilities within the JHU TRAC. The MIAMI Core staff will provide scientific and technical leadership and operational oversight to all animal- related studies of the research program. MIAMI Core faculty will also participate in the weekly TRAC Seminar Series, providing a scientific focus on novel research in TB pathogenesis and novel imaging tools, as well as the TRAC-sponsored Writing Accountability Groups for NI/ESI, TRAC K-Club and K2R Club, and annual TB Scientific Meeting and TRAC Data Fair. A centralized Core is essential to promote synergy with the other JHU TRAC Cores and to provide integration, efficiency, and ease of use that will maximize value and utility for all junior and established Investigators involved in the JHU TRAC. Overall, the MIAMI Core will add significant value through integration of expertise, infrastructure, and capabilities to achieve the goal of providing world-class microbiology, immunology, animal models, and imaging support to the JHU TRAC, as well as research opportunities to trainees, junior faculty, and researchers new to TB.