The virology team focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of viral pathogenesis and advancing clinical approaches to assist in managing diseases. The team works with a range of high-consequence viral pathogens.
The team leverages fundamental methodologies, such as:
- Virus quantification assays
- Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR)
- Titration assays
- Serological assessments
- Virus neutralization assays
- Immunofluorescence assay (IFA)
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
- Virus stock characterization
- Recombinant viral systems
Additional capabilities include nucleotide, protein, and microscopic evaluation of viral infection in a range of cell or tissue types. When the need arises, the team establishes new assays, criteria, or approaches.
Main Areas of Focus
- Basic and applied virology research on Risk Group 4 viral pathogens (e.g., Ebola, Marburg, Nipah, and Lassa viruses) and other high-consequence pathogens (e.g., SARS-CoV-2)
- Recombinant virus rescue
- Cell infection studies
- Growth curves
- Titration
- Sample preparation for molecular assays and sequencing
- Medical countermeasure efficacy assessment
- In vitro screening
- In vivo screening
- Assay development
- Adapting assays to biocontainment safety requirements
- Initial screening
- Full qualification of assays
- 3D microfluidic organ-on-chip model development
- Animal model development
- Rodents
- Ferrets
- Nonhuman primates
- Animals of other species, as available and needed
Tools
- Data analysis and interpretation with statistical support
- Generating inactivated samples for analysis outside of containment
- NextSeq 2000 sequencer
- 10x Chromium single-cell sequencer
- AKTA pure FPLC protein purifier
- Biacore T200 biochemical analyzer
- Leica confocal microscope
- Leica epifluorescence microscopes
- ThermoFisher Scientific EVOS M7000 Imaging System
- Tecan Freedom Evo pipetting robot with combined Tecan Infinite M1000 microplate reader
- Typhoon FLA 9500 imaging system
- Operetta high-content imaging systems
- ONI Nanoimager super-resolution microscope
- QuantStudio Absolute Q digital PCR system
- Emulate Human-on-a-Chip system
Location
Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF-Frederick)
Contact Information
Jens H. Kuhn, M.D., Ph.D., Ph.D., M.S.
Principal Scientist and Director of Virology (Contractor)
IRF-Frederick
Standards
All procedures are well-documented and adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs), methods, or study-approved plans and agreements.
Collaboration Opportunities
- Studies relevant to human disease
- Use of surrogate systems to test clinical hypotheses
- Use of biological systems to answer questions regarding disease pathogenesis and strategies for intervention including antimicrobials, vaccines, and other countermeasures
- Developing and incorporating cutting-edge technologies to understand infectious diseases
Read more about how to work with the IRF-Frederick.