# A Multifaceted Approach to Study Tissue and Cell Type Specific Molecular Mechanisms of the Host Response to Acute/Chronic Viral Infection

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $74,600

## Abstract

This proposal is for the purchase of the CLARIOstar PLUS microplate reader that will be for the
NIGMS-funded laboratory at the University of Miami School of Medicine of Dr. Emmanuel
Thomas (R35GM124915). Dr. Thomas is requesting funding to cover the cost of the microplate
reader. The ultra-sensitivity of the microplate reader would provide the laboratory with day-to-
day capabilities to obtain large data sets of fluorescent, luminescent, and colorimetric
biomarkers of cellular function related to antiviral innate immunity. The laboratory does not
currently have unrestricted access to these analytic capabilities. Additional investment in the
MIRA funded project led by Dr. Thomas, from the NIGMS, would enable his research group to
improve and enhance their cellular analytic techniques to meet and exceed the stated and
emergent research objectives. Furthermore, since the PI is a relatively new investigators only
recently receiving his first NIH R grants, this additional piece of equipment would additionally
support him on his established trajectory of scientific success. Dr. Thomas received his NIGMS
R35 grant in 2017 with funding starting on September 10, 2017. This is Dr. Thomas' only NIH
grant as PI. Given that his lab currently consists of a laboratory manager, two technicians and
three graduate students, the original grant budget was distributed to cover supplies and salaries
for the laboratory team that includes the PI, until August 2022. Therefore, funding from the R35
grant has already been committed to support the daily activities of the laboratory for the next 2.5
years. Given these budgetary restrictions, initially, there were no funds available in the budget to
request the purchase of specialized equipment to support the research objectives of the grant.
Importantly, with the R35 currently providing a solid foundation of funding for daily standard
laboratory activities, there is now an emergent need for increased analytic capabilities to
support the research objectives that are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. In Dr.
Thomas' Laboratory, the microplate reader would be specifically used for quantitation of
fluorescence, luminescence and other colorimetric assays to study the cellular interactions that
control host defense to viral infection as cells differentiate from multi-potent progenitors to
terminally differentiated cells.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10135262
- **Project number:** 3R35GM124915-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Emmanuel Thomas
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $74,600
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-09-10 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10135262

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10135262, A Multifaceted Approach to Study Tissue and Cell Type Specific Molecular Mechanisms of the Host Response to Acute/Chronic Viral Infection (3R35GM124915-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10135262. Licensed CC0.

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