# Biocontainment Research Support Services Core

> **NIH NIH UC7** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $778,799

## Abstract

Project Summary: RMRBL UC7 Core 3
The Rocky Mountain Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RMRBL) was conceived concomitant
with a Research Center for Excellence in Biodefense / Emerging Infectious Diseases. The
outcome of these synergized investments in infrastructure and research was a multidisciplinary
team of investigators and core research services. The RMRBL’s ability to respond to emerging
and persistent pathogen threats are due to our collective understanding of pathogen
characteristics, pathogenesis of infection, immunity and host range. Our prolific history of rapid
response to high consequence pathogens posing a threat to public and socioeconomic health is
due not only to the diverse strengths of the resident investigator teams, but also our ability to
conduct these important studies in BSL3 facilities. Specifically, the CSU RMRBL has strengths in
defining and optimizing in vitro culture conditions for pathogens and pathogen inactivation,
establishing the requisite animal models to investigate wildlife and domestic animal spillover
events and reservoir potential, and vaccine models using both viable and inactivated infectious
materials produced in vitro. Further, the CSU RMRBL has expertise in cutting-edge technologies
to study microbial physiology and animal models; such as conducting proteomic and
metabolomics mass spectrometry analyses, detailed histopathologic analyses using spatial
transcriptomics and AI-driven quantitative pathology scoring. Lastly, our collective research teams
have established programs for supplying biological reagents that can be robustly used for animal
and human clinical research, including inactivated biomaterials that can be safely and
reproducibly used outside the BSL3. In this Core, we culminate our collective strengths into one
Biocontainment Research Resources Core within the BSL3 facilities of the RMRBL. This resultant
pathogen characterization core devises our capacity through independent and highly interactive
aims; Aim 1: Natural reservoirs of infection and spillover threat for pathogens of pandemic
potential; Aim 2: Reagents and models for vaccine and diagnostics studies for pathogens of
pandemic potential; and Aim 3: Pathogen:Host materials processing for molecular mass
spectrometry imaging and single cell ‘omics analyses.
The RMRBL BSL3 Pathogen Characterization core provides opportunities to synergize activities,
expand our resources across the RBL network and to additional partners, forge new technologies
within the RMRBL BSL3, and ultimately improve our ability to adapt and rapidly deliver research
resources acutely responsive to pathogens possessing a threat to our health systems.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10793910
- **Project number:** 1UC7AI180308-01
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Karen Marie Dobos
- **Activity code:** UC7 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $778,799
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-08-18 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10793910

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10793910, Biocontainment Research Support Services Core (1UC7AI180308-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10793910. Licensed CC0.

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