Annual and Interim Progress Report Summaries
Principal Investigator: Hagen von Briesen
Project: Global HIV Vaccine Research Cryorepository
Submitted June 30, 2010
The goal of the GHRC project (Global HIV Vaccine Research Cryorepository ) is to establish a state-of-the-art specimen repository where samples and reagents relevant for HIV vaccine development are stored under controlled low-temperature conditions and to provide high quality specimens, tools and procedures, having a direct benefit to the CAVD community. Within the first three years (project phase 1), the HSC has successfully developed these processes, cryoequipment and bioreagents. The past year has been used to employ, improve and distribute the new cryotechnology platform, to develop new cryomedia and to establish new cooperations in the field of R&D as well as for technology transfer.
Special attention has been given to link the HSC with the CHAVI laboratories and repositories. The cooperation has been discussed in six face-to-face meetings at HSC in Sulzbach, Duke University and NICD in Johannesburg. The meetings at Duke University have also been used to foster the cooperation with the CAVIMC. As a first part of the cryotechnology transfer, a “Port Reader Station” has been transferred to David Montefiori’s lab. It is used to read out our smart cryovials automatically and to import the sample data directly into the lab management system. Thus, one part of the sample-data-sample loop has been successfully integrated.
The research in cryomedia and improved cryoprocedures led to the development of two further xeno-free cryomedia without any animal or human components (e.g., serum) and three labs ordered the media in 2010 to evaluate them for their research purposes. Furthermore, a crossconsortia lab study to evaluate the media for PBMC cryopreservation started in November 2009 with the CA-VIMC lab at the University of Birmingham (Christina Ochsenbauer). The pseudovirus production is continuing successfully and since September 2009, several test stocks have been produced with the automated cell culturing system. The efforts to certify the system under GCLP have been strengthened with the help of external experts and the goal is to get the system fully optimized and validated in November 2010. Finally, with 44 material shipments since August 2009, the envisioned HSC service function has been strongly used by the CAVD.
Summing up, all activites could be executed successfully, and promising cooperations have been initiated, both of which was again emphasized by our External Advisory Board. For the coming year, we would like to introduce our scalable biobanking expertise into other areas (e.g., Gates Foundation programs as Malaria, TB, etc.) and to initiate the discussion about future possibilities to support the CAVD program.