# BRAIN Viral Vector Services and Distribution Core

> **NIH NIH U24** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2022 · $398,467

## Abstract

The BRAIN Viral Vector Service and Distribution Core will serve as a resource for the maintenance,
propagation, and distribution of viral vectors that are used by neuroscientists for neural circuit
identification and manipulation, as well as for preclinical translational studies. High-quality viral
vectors are essential tools to mark and manipulate neuronal circuits in live animals and identify long-
range synaptic connections. Moreover, adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are the de facto
standard for gene therapies. Existing commercial viral vector sources do not offer end-to-end
services, from assisting with viral vector design, rigorous manufacturing and quality controls,
troubleshooting with clients to enhance vector performance in the brain, and a mission focused on
neuroscience. The Core Director (Dr. Kim Ritola) will translate her ten years of providing viral tools to
the Howard Hughes Medical Institute neuroscience community towards creating a BRAIN Viral Vector
Service and Distribution Core capable of producing and distributing AAV, rabies, and lenti virus tools
to neuroscientists. The Core will have two main purposes: 1) Produce and disseminate affordable,
high-quality AAV, rabies, and lenti viral vectors to the neuroscience community including newly
developed vectors, custom preps and curated stocks and 2) Collaborate with BRAIN researchers to
optimize vector design and prep conditions for optimal performance and serve as an educational
resource for viral vector production. This Core will provide investigators with an extensive choice of
vector capsid or envelope, paired with custom viral construct, including those with traditionally difficult
to package genomes, titers and volumes appropriate for experiment type, rigorous quality controls,
and affordability.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10475823
- **Project number:** 5U24NS124025-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Kimberly Ritola
- **Activity code:** U24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $398,467
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10475823

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10475823, BRAIN Viral Vector Services and Distribution Core (5U24NS124025-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10475823. Licensed CC0.

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