# Biological Analysis Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $759,276

## Abstract

ABSTRACT – Biological Analysis Core
Cellular senescence is a prolonged and generally irreversible growth arrest observed in normal tissue
development. While senescence is vital for tissue remodeling, for prevention of malignancy in damaged cells,
and in wound healing, the aberrant accumulation of senescence cells is associated with multiple chronic
diseases of aging such as atherosclerosis, pulmonary fibrosis, neurodegeneration and others. Senescence is
seen as a response to various stressors including telomere erosion, genotoxicity, nutrient deprivation, hypoxia,
and mitochondrial dysfunction. The Biological Analysis Core, in partnership with the Biospecimen Core, will be
a critical resource for the SenNet proposal by integrating and delivering state-of-the-art technology to investigate
senescence at the molecular, single-cell, and whole tissue level. The core is led by a team of highly accomplished
research scientists who have successfully utilized these specific platforms in conjunction with previous and/or
current clinical studies. Together with the Data Analysis Core, the Biological Analysis Core will generate
multimodal atlases that characterize the heterogeneity and spatial distribution of senescent cells at single cell
resolution in various tissues including lung, heart, colon, muscle, and skin and across different stages of
development consisting of fetal/infant, pediatric (<18 years old), young adults (<35), middle adults (<55), and
older adults (>55). To support the consortium and provide the requisite set of senescence maps across different
tissues, Biological Analysis Core will utilize a comprehensive repertoire of highly standardized and/or formally
validated assay platforms. With the initial focus on lung tissue, we will systematically profile heart, muscle, skin
and colon tissues to provide rich tissue maps of senescence across all above-defined age groups. The Biological
Analysis Core has the following Specific Aims: 1) to provide high resolution state-of-the-art molecular, cellular,
and tissue-level characterization of biospecimens for the purpose of identifying robust biomarkers of senescence
and constructing detailed tissue maps, 2) to collect and analyze matching biofluids including blood, cerebrospinal
fluid, saliva, and urine, providing a broader interconnection between the senescence maps across multiple
tissues and at varying developmental stages, and 3) to develop human-derived microfluidic-based droplet
organoids from various tissues to model unique systems amenable to perturbations that test the efficacy of novel
drugs for senescence intervention. All of these samples, derivatives, and data will be available to the entire
Tissue Mapping Center consortium and our team will work to integrate and optimize all parts of the data
generation pipeline, from tissue collection and preservation to data generation, integration, analysis, and
interpretation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10376568
- **Project number:** 1U54AG075936-01
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** ANDREW B. NIXON
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $759,276
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-30 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10376568

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10376568, Biological Analysis Core (1U54AG075936-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10376568. Licensed CC0.

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