# Virology Resource Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $126,658

## Abstract

JH-EPICS Virology Resource Core (VRC) Summary
The Johns Hopkins Excellence in Pathogenesis and Immunity Center for SARS-CoV-2 (JH-EPICS) aims to
systematically analyze the innate, T cell, and antibody responses that either protect or cause pathology during
SARS-CoV-2 infection. In order to accurately accomplish the Specific Aims within the three JH-EPICS
Research Projects, a consistent and reliable source of virus-specific reagents and methods is required. The
Virology Resource Core (VRC) is tasked with providing SARS-CoV-2-specific reagents and access to BSL3
facilities to perform experiments with virus infected cells for the three JH-EPICS Research Projects. The VRC
draws on the expertise of Andrew Pekosz, PhD (Lead) and Michael Betenbaugh, PhD (Co-Lead) to generate
these reagents. The VRC will produce recombinant proteins and, in particular, proteins with complex
carbohydrate moieties. The VRC has the ability to use mammalian cells to express small or large quantities of
purified proteins that will be used by all the JH-EPICS Research Projects to measure viral antigen specific
responses. The Lead of the VRC has experience with respiratory viruses, such as influenza, SARS-CoV, and
SARS-CoV-2, which will enable the VRC to rigorously and accurately grow and provide the JH-EPICS
Research Projects with a consistent source of virus particles or infected cell lysates that have been inactivated
and can be used in laboratories outside of BSL3-containment. The VRC will provide the expertise and access
to facilities necessary to perform experiments on virus-infected cells, which will allow the JH-EPICS
investigators to validate results with live virus. The centralized production of these reagents, the use of
standardized protocols for virus infections, and consistent use across JH-EPICS Research Projects will
improve the quality, rigor, and reproducibility of data to increase the public health significance of the JH-EPICS
studies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11171000
- **Project number:** 3U54CA260492-02S3
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrew S. Pekosz
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $126,658
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11171000

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11171000, Virology Resource Core (3U54CA260492-02S3). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11171000. Licensed CC0.

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