# Virology Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2020 · $146,293

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Respiratory infections induced by rhinoviruses (RV) play important roles in development, exacerbation and
chronicity of asthma in both children and adults. This program is focused on identifying pathogenic
mechanisms related to the virus biology (cellular receptor), host (genetics, immune response), and
environment (farming lifestyle, microbiome) that lead to physiologic changes in airway function and determine
the severity of RV-induced illnesses. Project I continues studies in a birth cohort involving farm and non-farm
families, while the emphasis of Project II is on determining interactions between RV-C, associated with more
severe wheezing illnesses in children, and host airway epithelial cells. Each of the two projects will use viral
molecular diagnostic assays and require specialized preparations of purified RVs and other molecular reagents
such as antibodies and cDNA clones that are essential for obtaining reproducible results. The Virology Core is
established to provide Project I with a repertoire of sensitive and accurate molecular detection sampling
strategies and assays to identify all common respiratory viruses (RVP) and bacteria (metagenomic
sequencing). Tasks including using molecular techniques to assign RV species and types (RT-PCR and
sequencing) for viruses detected in clinical samples. Comprehensive viral diagnostics are needed to evaluate
the role of each virus species and RV type in pathogenesis of respiratory illnesses. The viral loads will be
quantified by RT-qPCR in a subset of RV-positive nasal samples from human subjects of Project I for
subsequent virus isolation, complete genome sequencing, cDNA cloning and use in Project II. The core will
isolate, grow and characterize primary cultures of human airway epithelial cells for use in Project II, in which
interactions between viruses and microbial isolates will be tested. In addition, this core will support the in vitro
experiments of Projects I-II by supplying (1) purified stocks (infectious and inactivated) of selected RV
serotypes/strains, (2) RV-specific antibodies, (3) cDNA clones of RV-A, RV-B and RV-C isolates for
recombinant virus production, (4) performing viral RNA quantification (qRT-PCR) and RV infectivity (plaque
and TCID50) assays, and determining anti-RV serum neutralizing antibody titers. The Core will also continue to
provide expertise for the use of these reagents and viral diagnostic assays to the UW AADCRC program
investigators, and to collaborate with other NIH-funded and international investigators.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9858217
- **Project number:** 5U19AI104317-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Yury A Bochkov
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $146,293
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9858217

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9858217, Virology Core (5U19AI104317-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9858217. Licensed CC0.

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