# Cell Culture and Small Animal Core

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA · 2020 · $274,188

## Abstract

CORE SUMMARY
Core B is the Cell Culture and Small Animal Scientific Core whose goals are to provide Program Investigators
with complete cell culture and cell isolation services (Cell Culture component) and a variety of small animal and
microbiological services (Small Animal component) that facilitate the completion of their Specific Aims. To
accomplish these goals, Core B will be centering its activities into three principal areas:
Service component: Core B will facilitate the performance of each project by centralizing cell processing
including isolation, characterization, and distribution of pulmonary endothelial cells (PAECs), microvascular
endothelial cells (PMVECs), and pulmonary vein endothelial cells (PVECs) from wild type and genetically
modified rats and mice, and by providing consultation and training in cell isolation and culture. Core B will
facilitate the performance of each project by centralizing animal care including maintenance of mouse and rat
colonies (breeding and colony expansion) of animals harboring genetic mutations, by maintaining bacterial
stocks of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and by generating P. aeruginosa-induced lung injury in rats and mice.
Academic component: Throughout previous funding cycles, Core B has adapted to the ever-changing needs
of the Projects by generating new reagents (e.g. providing pulmonary endothelial cells from genetically
modified rats and mice) or platforms (e.g. providing an experimental rodent model of Pseudomonas
aeruginosa-induced pneumonia and sepsis). During the current cycle, the Core has developed a novel
experimental platform -Monolayer Stress Microscopy- to assess endothelial cell mechanics via visualization of
forces occurring among cells and their subjacent substrate. In addition, the Core has generated mouse and rat
decellularized lung bio-scaffolds that will serve as a platform for examining endothelial cell heterogeneity.
Synergy with Projects and Scientific Cores: In collaboration with Core D (BioImaging and BioTechnology
Implementation Core), pulmonary endothelial cells and isolated lung tissues will be provided for 3D, 4D, and
5D imaging analyses. Scientifically, the analysis of monolayer mechanical forces and the generation of lung
scaffolds will become fundamental for data- and hypothesis- generation by providing innovative platforms to all
Projects and Cores. In this capacity, scaffolds repopulated with genetically modified cells (provided from Core
C) will be imaged using the novel approaches developed by Core D and the newly-acquired information will be
disseminated in coordination with Core A (administrative Core).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9962984
- **Project number:** 5P01HL066299-18
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
- **Principal Investigator:** Diego F. Alvarez
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $274,188
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9962984

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9962984, Cell Culture and Small Animal Core (5P01HL066299-18). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9962984. Licensed CC0.

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