The goals of the Virology Core are to enable, broaden and enhance HIV/AIDS research by providing state-of-the-art BSL-2/3 laboratory facilities and equipment, experienced and dedicated professional staff, education, training, virology-specific research materials and assays and protein expression capabilities, all to support multidisciplinary, investigator-initiated basic and clinical HIV/AIDS research. Each of our specific aims represent significant value-added to HIV/AIDS research and the overall CFAR mission as they:

• enable live HIV research among all UAB investigators;
• foster the development of HIV/AIDS research by new investigators;
• broaden the research capabilities among CFAR faculty, and
• encourage research that is translational and multidisciplinary in nature.

The services of core are integral to the AIDS Center as they provide critical support to numerous multidisciplinary basic and clinical HIV/AIDS research programs.

The specific aims of the core are as follows:

1. To provide and maintain state-of-the-art BSL 2/3 laboratory facilities for “live” HIV research.

2. To provide safety education and training, and ongoing supervision for all faculty and staff that work in the BSL-2/3 Laboratory.

3. To augment AIDS research capabilities through consultation, assay-specific training, and provision of standardized assays and defined molecular and virologic reagents.

4. To develop specialized genetically engineered tools and assays, including cell lines and viral vectors, to help address new and important investigative challenges in HIV/AIDS research.

5. To continue to offer CFAR investigators the molecular biology services, reagents, and training, that allow a rapid progression from cloning of genes to structure and/or function studies of the gene product.