Viral Oncology Section Laboratory

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The Viral Technology Laboratory (VTL) at the National Cancer Institute - Frederick focuses on oncogenic viral pathogenesis and the role of viruses in cancer etiology. Using a combination of well-established techniques as well as cutting-edge technologies, VTL performs virological assays that are sensitive, specific, cost-effective, and time-efficient. VTL also produces custom lentiviruses and adenoviruses for transgene or shRNA delivery. These viruses are powerful tools that enable researchers to manipulate and study the role of specific genes in the etiology of cancer and various other disease states. VTL offers cDNA cloning for gene expression, as well as design, generation, and purification of recombinant lentiviruses and adenoviruses for gene delivery and expression studies in vitro and in vivo. VTL also performs molecular and serological laboratory testing on a variety of specimen types (blood, cells, buffy coat, saliva, tissues, tumors, etc.) to detect and characterize viruses that cause human cancers. During the past year, this laboratory has undergone several major changes. It was previously the Viral Oncology Section (VOS) of the AIDS Vaccine Program (AVP), but on October 1, 2006, the laboratory transferred to the Advanced Technology Program (ATP). As of April 1, 2007, the Gene Expression Laboratory (GEL) was disbanded and the GEL Virus Production Group merged with the VOS core laboratory. This added two full-time employees, as well as the lentiviral and adenoviral services, and as a result, VOS core was renamed the Viral Technology Laboratory (VTL).VTL collaborates with NCI investigators to determine and provide the most scientifically sound and costeffective solution for the requested virological service. VTL consists of two groups: the Serology and Molecular Assays Group and the Virus Production Group that together offer an extensive catalog of virology services to help investigators move their research forward. SEROLOGY AND MOLECULAR ASSAYS GROUP This VTL group offers luminex multiplex cytokine and cell signaling assays; antibody detection and quantification using in-house and commercial ELISAs; validated quantitative real-time PCR viral testing (standardized to International Units); automated highthroughput DNA and RNA extraction of viral and mammalian nucleic acids for various downstream uses, including PCR and SNP analysis; DNA sequencing; development of custom expression arrays for whole virus genomes or cellular pathways; and sample testing using these arrays as well as AFFYMETRIX human gene arrays. VTL was originally established in 1986 as the Viral Epidemiology Section (VES) to support large-scale, population-based epidemiological studies performed by investigators of the NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (NCI-DCEG) Viral Epidemiology Branch (VEB).