# Viral Testing Core

> **NIH NIH U42** · TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA · 2020 · $349,994

## Abstract

Project Summary – Viral Testing Core
An essential requirement for maintenance of a SPF breeding colony is continued, accurate surveillance for the
agents of concern. Over the past two grant cycles we have transitioned from testing at off-site laboratories to
performing all screening assays at the Tulane National Primate Research Center’s (TNPRC) Pathogen Detection
and Quantification Core (PDQC). The PDQC is administratively located in the Division of Microbiology and was
established at the TNPRC in 2004. The primary mission of the PDQC is to provide diagnostic services to the
Division of Veterinary Medicine for establishing and maintaining SPF nonhuman primate colonies. A secondary
mission is to provide research support to investigators. The development of onsite viral testing capabilities has
resulted in reduced costs, eliminated shipping of samples, reduced turn-around time, and provided a platform
for easy expansion for detection of additional agents. This section of the application focuses on the function of
the viral testing lab, techniques used for identification and detection of the target viruses, unusual results over
the past 4 years, assay performance/validation, and current and future expansion of testing capabilities. The Aim
of this core is to assure the SPF status of the colony through continued viral testing of existing breeding colony
animals and all offspring. The SPF4 colony will be tested a minimum of twice each year for all four target viruses:
Type D simian retrovirus (SRV), simian T-lymphotropic virus (STLV), simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), and
herpes B virus (BV) for SPF4. The eSPF colony will be tested at the same frequency for rhesus rhadinovirus
(RRV), simian virus 40 (SV40), simian foamy virus (SFV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and lymphocryptovirus (LCV)
in addition to the SPF4 agents. The planned expansion of the eSPF colony will require quarterly testing of infants
derived from the SPF4 colony. Characterization of the colony beyond the targeted agents supported by the U42
grant will continue through the development and use of additional assays for other potential pathogens.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9951133
- **Project number:** 5U42OD024282-04
- **Recipient organization:** TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
- **Principal Investigator:** Elizabeth Schmidt Didier
- **Activity code:** U42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $349,994
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9951133

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9951133, Viral Testing Core (5U42OD024282-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9951133. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*