Burnet Antiviral Testing Facility
Overview
The Burnet Antiviral Testing Facility has the capacity to evaluate chemical agents for inhibitory activity against HIV and herpes simplex (HSV) type 1 and 2 viruses in cell culture assays.
This enables the development of new candidate molecules that may lead to better treatments and/or prophylactics for these chronic viral infections.
All work undertaken by the facility uses principles outlined in the FDA guidelines for Antiviral Product Development.
Expertise
- The facility staff have extensive experience in basic research, particularly in understanding the retrovirus biology.
- The facility works exclusively using principles outlined in the FDA guidelines for antiviral product development.
Services
- Screening compounds for activity against a laboratory strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in cell culture-based assays.
- Assays include:
- Determination of selectivity index (SI) of compounds (SI= 50% effective concentration/ 50% cytotoxic concentration)
- Evaluating activity of compounds against different HIV strains including different HIV subtypes and clinical isolates in cell lines and in primary cells
- Evaluating mechanism of action of HIV inhibitors including determining the ability of compounds to inhibit HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity using recombinant enzymes including wild-type and a panel of drug-resistant mutants
- Selection and characterisation of drug resistant strains of HIV in cell culture
- Evaluating antiviral activity in cell culture assays in the presence of serum, seminal plasma, cervicovaginal fluid
- Screening of compounds for activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2 in cell culture assays including determination of selectivity index (SI) of compounds.
Equipment
- Physical Containment level 3 (PC3) facility to enable safe working with biological hazardous materials including HIV.
- Physical Containment level 2 (PC2) facility for work not involving HIV propagation
- Class II Biosafety cabinets, CO2 incubators, ultracentrifuges, inverted microscopes, Clariostar multifunction microplate reader
- Operates in compliance with Australian biosecurity regulations
Access and Contact
Access to the facility is either via collaborative research or as a fee for service arrangement. Relevant training to support operational compliance to all necessary regulations and guidelines must be undertaken prior to access being granted. For general research enquiries contact:
Prof Gilda Tachedjian
Head, Life Sciences
Burnet Institute
Gilda.tachedjian@burnet.edu.au