Advanced Technology Core

The AT Core provides secure long-term storage and professional management of valuable cellular and biospecimen resources. Using liquid nitrogen storage systems and standardized specimen handling procedures, we support sample preservation, traceability, accessibility, and quality control.

Services include specimen receipt and processing, inventory management, quality monitoring, controlled access, sample retrieval and distribution, and tracking systems aligned with institutional and regulatory standards. The biorepository provides a foundation for collaborative research, assay development, and future discovery by ensuring that high-quality biospecimens remain accessible to investigators across institutions.

The AT Core supports immune-based technologies to study host responses, HIV pathogenesis, and mechanisms of viral persistence. Capabilities include primary cell culture, high-parameter flow cytometry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, immune phenotyping, cytokine and proliferation assays, and functional cellular analyses.

We also support tissue-based immunology, single-cell approaches, organoids, and organ-on-chip models, helping investigators study immune responses and host-virus interactions at higher resolution. Our team provides guidance on experimental design, assay development, troubleshooting, and data quality review.

The AT Core provides access to major instrumentation and technology platforms that support virology, immunology, reservoir biology, omics, and experimental model studies. Key platforms include high-dimensional flow cytometry and cell sorting, including the Cytek Aurora CS, Sony ID7000, and Wolf cell sorter; molecular virology platforms such as qPCR/ddPCR, including the Bio-Rad QX600 ddPCR system; sequencing and genomics platforms including MiSeq, 10x Genomics, and Xenium/spatial technologies; and biomarker platforms such as Luminex LX200. The Core also supports advanced experimental systems, including organoid and organ-on-chip models, with a growing focus on human tissue-based HIV research.

These platforms are integrated across the Core’s virology, cellular immunology, and omics programs rather than functioning as separate services. This allows investigators to combine HIV RNA/DNA quantification, IPDA, FLIP/MIP-Seq, integration-site/clonality assays, spectral flow, FACS, functional assays, single-cell/spatial workflows, epigenomics, proteomics, and experimental models in coordinated, question-driven workflows. AT_Core_Narrative_Revision_V28

Recent technology milestones include implementation of MIP-Seq as a tissue-adapted reservoir assay linking proviral integrity and integration-site information, and establishment of organ-on-chip technology for HIV research, including a human Brain-Chip model that connects Last Gift tissue discoveries with experimentally tractable human model systems.

The AT Core brings together complementary expertise in virology, immunology, omics, experimental models, training, and biospecimen management. These areas are intentionally interconnected: many projects draw on more than one platform, and our team works collaboratively to help investigators select, combine, and implement the right technologies for their scientific question.

The AT Core may support Last Gift-related studies through assay development, tissue and cell processing, biosafety guidance, quality control, data-generation workflows, and coordination with specialized technology platforms. At the same time, the AT Core also supports many projects beyond Last Gift, including studies using clinical specimens, experimental models, biorepository samples, and investigator-generated materials.

Together, this complementary relationship helps transform the extraordinary generosity of Last Gift participants into high-quality, reproducible scientific discoveries that advance HIV cure research.

The AT Core continues to develop and implement new technologies that expand what is possible in HIV research. A major recent milestone is MIP-Seq, a tissue-adapted assay that links proviral sequence integrity with integration-site information. This technology was developed in response to investigator need, optimized through SOPs and quality-control processes, and converted into a sustainable Core service used by multiple investigators and NIH-funded projects.

The Core has also established organ-on-chip technology for HIV research, including a human Brain-Chip model that recreates key features of the neurovascular unit with neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and a perfused endothelial channel. This platform connects discoveries from human tissues, including Last Gift studies, with experimental models where mechanisms can be tested under controlled conditions.

The AT Core is committed to building research capacity and supporting the next generation of HIV investigators. We provide structured onboarding, technical training, biosafety education, regulatory guidance, and hands-on instruction across virology, immunology, genomics, tissue-based methods, and emerging technology platforms.

Training ranges from introductory laboratory experiences for students and trainees to advanced project-centered mentorship for fellows, early-stage investigators, and research professionals. Through workshops, individualized consultations, and hands-on support, we help investigators design rigorous studies, select appropriate technologies, implement complex workflows, and interpret results.