Drawing from over a decade of experience in microarray technology and analysis, the newly installed Collaborative Genomics Center at VGTI-FL, has developed a robust genomics and bioinformatics platform to assess and model highly integrated immune responses to infections and other illnesses, or protective vaccines.   The CGC is designed to serve as a collaborative entity to help in the design, execution and analysis of complex datasets for VGTI investigators and their collaborators.  The Center currently consists of two cores: the Genomics Core and the Bioinformatics Core.

Together, our specific deliverables are:

• A centralized, SOP-driven sample, reporting, and data management and distribution framework to manage program project data and reporting.

• A unique Illumina-based platform in the assessment and validation of gene expression signatures that define innate and adaptive host immune responses to infection/vaccination/illness in different tissues and cell types.
  
  - Standard and low input material (<50 ng total RNA, as low as 1000 cells can routinely be used for sample input)
  
  
• A collaborative bioinformatics team to analyze transcriptional signatures of cells at the virus:host intercept so as to ascertain and interpret the functional activities that define the immune response to virus relative to different vaccine platforms and to protection.
  
  
• Development of an integrated bioinformatic database that will be globally accessible and which will allow other groups to benchmark their new vaccine platforms against the features of protective immune responses.
  

Collaborations:
During our start-up year in 2010, the CGC completed over 3500 arrays for 24 investigators/groups including:

• OHSU: L. Picker, K. Frueh, J. Nelson
• VGTI-FL: R. Sekaly, J. Hiscott, L. Trautman
• U. Washington: J. Lingappa
• NIH: B. Seder, D. Douek, R. Koup
• Rockefeller U: R. Steinman
• U. Miami: S. Pahwa (DCFAR), W. Khan, E. Podack, L. Metsch, M. Fischl
• FHCRC: J. McElrath, N. Frahm
• Harvard U: P. Johnson
• Yerkes: G. Sylvestri

Contact Information:
VGTI-FL Collaborative Genomics Center
Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida
9801 SW Discovery Way
Port Saint Lucie, FL  34987
Phone: 772-345-5673