# Diagnostics Core

> **NIH NIH P01** · TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON · 2024 · $414,456

## Abstract

ABSTRACT- DIAGNOSTIC CORE
The Diagnostics Core provides comprehensive laboratory testing for Lyme disease in a CLIA-certified clinical
laboratory setting. Its purpose is to provide standardized laboratory services to the Clinical Core, to assist in
characterizing enrolled subjects, and to provide archived human samples to support the Projects. Laboratory
testing will include only well-established assays and procedures, rather than experimental diagnostic methods
that will be evaluated in the Projects. Services provided by the Diagnostics Core will include pre-analytical
sample processing (e.g., serum or plasma separation, isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells); routine
chemistry and hematology tests; serum antibody testing using a standardized suite of well-described
commercial assays selected for high performance and reproducibility; skin biopsy culture and PCR for Borrelia
performed using established protocols; and multiplexed PCR targeting a full complement of tick-borne
infectious agents. The Diagnostics Core will also manage plasma sample transport to a referral laboratory for
pathogen detection using metagenomic sequencing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10862290
- **Project number:** 1P01AI181934-01
- **Recipient organization:** TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** John Branda
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $414,456
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-05 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10862290

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10862290, Diagnostics Core (1P01AI181934-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10862290. Licensed CC0.

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