Preclinical Research Services

The Vector Biocontainment Laboratory (VBL), organizationally under the Upstate Institute for Global Health and Translational Science, facilitates research on infectious diseases classified as a major public health threat, such as:

COVID-19
Lyme disease
West Nile encephalitis
Zika virus disease
Chikungunya virus disease
Dengue fever
Powassan encephalitis
Other emerging infectious diseases

We have over 41 years of combined biocontainment experience in conducting preclinical studies in animal models, in-vitro cell lines, ticks, and mosquitoes. Working as an extension of your team, our research staff will help expedite your research goals. Our preclinical research offers scientific excellence and data integrity following biosafety and animal welfare guidelines. We offer a wide range of research services as listed below:

Research Services

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In-vivo Infectious Disease models

Species: Mouse, Rat, Hamster, Guinea Pig, Ferret, Rabbit

BSL-3 agents: SARS CoV-2, Chikungunya virus, Yellow fever virus, Powassan virus, Heartland virus, Bourbon virus, SFTS virus.

BSL-2 agents: Zika virus, Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii, West Nile virus, Usutu virus, Mayaro virus, Dengue virus, Langat virus, Rift Valley fever (MP-12 vaccine strain).

Routes of Administration: SQ, IP, IM, ID, IN, PO, IV, RO (mouse only), infected ticks, and infected mosquitoes.

Type of studies: Development of disease models, LD50, natural history & pathogenesis, assess vaccine protective efficacy, and test/validate therapeutic drugs.

Measurements and Sample Collection: Detailed clinical observations, weight & temperature measurements, survival & terminal blood collection, and necropsy [tissue list^A: brain, heart, lungs, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, cecum, pancreas, kidneys, skin, spinal column, thymus, selected muscles and lymph nodes, testes].

Sample analysis: Hematology and serum chemistry (Zoetis Vetscan VS2 and HM5 analyzers), immunoassay (ELISpot and Bio-Rad Bio-Plex 200 analyzer), gene expression and pathogen load by rt-qPCR (Bio-Rad CFX 96 Real-Time PCR system), sample titration by plaque/focus forming assay^B, neutralization assays^B, next-gen sequencing and flow cytometry^C

Histopathology: Tissue embedding^D and sectioning, H&E staining, IHC/IFA^B, RNA-ish (ACD RNAscope)^B

In-vitro Infectious Disease models

Cell lines: Vero cells, Vero E6 cells, BHK cells, L-cells, DH82 cells, SH-SY5Y cells, tick cells, mosquito cells, human skin (ex-vivo).

BSL-3 agents: SARS CoV-2, Chikungunya virus, Yellow fever virus, Powassan virus, Heartland virus, Bourbon virus, SFTS virus.

BSL-2 agents: Zika virus, Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii, West Nile virus, Usutu virus, Mayaro virus, Dengue virus, Langat virus, Rift Valley fever (MP-12 vaccine strain).

Type of studies: Assess the in-vitro efficacy of therapeutic drugs, assess neutralization efficiency of immune serum.

Sample analysis: Viral replication kinetics, immunoassay (Bio-Rad Bio-Plex 200 analyzer), gene expression and pathogen load by rt-qPCR (Bio-Rad CFX 96 Real-Time PCR system), sample titration by plaque/focus forming assay^B, neutralization assays (PRNT)^B, and next-gen sequencing^C

Tick and Mosquito Infectious Disease models

Tick species: Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, Ixodes cookei, Ixodes pacificus, Haemaphysalis longicornis

Mosquito species: Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus

Tick-borne agents: Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii, Powassan virus, Heartland virus, Bourbon virus, SFTS virus.

Mosquito-borne agents: Zika virus, Chikungunya virus, Yellow fever virus, West Nile virus, Usutu virus, Mayaro virus, Dengue virus.

Type of studies: Vector-competency assay, tick-transmission assay, mosquito-transmission assay, human challenge/exposure, tick/mosquito repellent assay, functional gene knock-out assay

Sample Collection: Dissection of internal organs (legs, mid-gut, salivary glands) & saliva from infected ticks and mosquitoes.

Sample analysis: Viral replication kinetics, RNAi knock-out assay, gene expression and pathogen load by rt-qPCR (Bio-Rad CFX 96 Real-Time PCR system), sample titration by plaque/pocus forming assay^B, neutralization assays (PRNT)^B, and next-gen sequencing^C

^AWhole body perfusion (mice/rats) and additional tissues may be available upon request.

^BValidated for specific pathogens and antibodies, additional services may be available upon request

^COffered through SUNY Upstate Core Facilities

^DProvided through a third-party contractor