For this proposal, we will assess three compounds for antiviral activity in a cell-based Lassa virus infection assay.

We have previously found that geriatric marmosets have a significantly reduced microbial diversity, and we have also found in pilot testing that oral fecal transplant can be safely used to alter a young animal?s microbial community. We hypothesize that loss of microbial diversity is significantly associated with the aging process, and that oral FMT may be a potential therapeutic for healthspan maintenance. Specific Aim 1: Determine if changes in the gut microbiome with aging are associated with significant changes in measures of healthspan and lifespan.

This project is a pilot study to demonstrate that ELISPOT assays are performing adequately.

This major goal of this funding is to outfit the Pathology Unit of SNPRC with a new chemistry analyzer, a new slide stainer and coverslipper, as well as seeks to purchase a state of the art whole slide scanner, which will provide a significant upgrade to research capabilities supported by Texas Biomed.

For this proposal, we will be responsible for the experiments involving infection of K18 hACE2 mice with SARS-CoV-2 USA-WA1/2020 strain and assess the effectivity of a drug compound provided by the partnering company.

As the human population shifts to a higher proportion of aged and geriatric individuals, it is critical that we develop appropriate animal models in which to test interventional methods to maintain human health and to systemically treat age-related disease. Marmosets offer a unique model in which to evaluate the translational gap between cellular aging and clinical application.

The major goal of this study is to evaluate the cellular immune response in macaques vaccinated with an anti-heme vaccine.

The major goal of this project is to screen the U42 macaque colony at the SNPRC for SARS-CoV-2 virus and viral antibodies to mitigate the risks to both staff and the nonhuman primate colonies associated with COVID-19 and to help minimize any risk to HIV research using U42 funded Indian-origin rhesus macaques.

The majority of the human transcriptome consists of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which regulate the expression and function of protein coding genes, immune cell development, differentiation, and response to infections. The role of lncRNAs in HIV-infected cells and how the host lncRNAs impact the replication and persistence of HIV infection is not known. The objective of this proposal is to identify host lncRNAs that influence viral replication, cellular and immune responses to infection and molecular mechanisms of their action.

The major goal of this study is to evaluate the cellular immune response to a cancer vaccine produced by Janssen.