# Technology Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $442,306

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – Technology Core
This innovative Systems Biology Center application seeks to model the complex host/pathogen interactions
occurring in patients with severe pneumonia. The overall goals of the Technology Core (TechCore) are to provide
sample processing, biobanking, and data generation support for all Projects and other Cores in the Super-
Successful Clinical Response In Pneumonia Therapy (SCRIPT2) Systems Biology Center. Our Technology Core
is uniquely poised to contribute to the success of the SCRIPT2 Study, as we possess expertise in flow cytometry,
cell sorting, cryopreservation, and various next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, including bulk and
single-cell technologies for gene expression (single-cell RNA-seq) and protein expression profiling (cellular
indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes [CITE]-seq), T and B cell receptor (TCR and BCR) clonotyping, genome-
wide DNA methylation analysis, metagenomics sequencing, and deep pathogen sequencing. The Technology
Core will process clinical samples, cryopreserve them, and then cryorecover them for pre-designated NGS
assays in close coordination with the Projects and other Cores. The data generated from the TechCore’s
activities will feed back to the DMBI and Modeling Cores to support the aims of Projects 1 and 2 as well as
iteratively inform sample selection to determine the most informative NGS assays to perform on a given sample.
The Technology Core has conceptualized its activities into two Specific Aims:
Aim 1. To immunophenotype and perform biobanking of BAL, nasal curettage, and blood samples
obtained from patients with severe pneumonia for subsequent NGS analysis. In Aim 1.1, we will use
multiparameter flow cytometry to immunophenotype subsets of epithelial and immune cells from samples
obtained from patients with severe pneumonia. In Aim 1.2, we will perform cryopreservation of all samples using
techniques that allow for downstream NGS assays on selected samples.
Aim 2. To perform NGS assays, including single-cell RNA-seq, CITE-seq, single-cell TCR and BCR
clonotyping, T cell subset DNA methylation analysis, metagenomics sequencing, and deep pathogen
sequencing on selected cryopreserved samples. We will cryorecover samples selected by the Projects in
conjunction with the DMBI and Modeling Cores to perform pre-designated NGS assays and subsequent
bioinformatics processing. We will also perform other assays, such as cytokine profiling, as directed by the
Projects.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10757323
- **Project number:** 5U19AI135964-07
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Benjamin David Singer
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $442,306
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-17 → 2027-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10757323

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10757323, Technology Core (5U19AI135964-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10757323. Licensed CC0.

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