PSCI Viral Vector Core Facility

The viral vector core facility provides investigators the opportunity to use adenovirus and retrovirus gene transfer vector technology in their research.  Applications include transient and long-term expression of a gene product or small interfering RNA (RNAi).  The particular services provided are described below.

The facility is located on the sixth floor of the cancer wing in rooms C6751 and C6748.  Drs. David Spector and Michael Verderame are the core co-directors.  They are both available to work with investigators to evaluate how a research project can take advantage of the services that the facility provides.

Request for information about services should be made directly to Dr. Spector (x8250), dspector@psu.edu.

To place an order for services, you should download and electronically complete the appropriate forms below (to print or electronically fill-out these forms, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download here). After electronically completing the forms with Adobe Acrobat Reader, send the electronically completed forms to Dr. Spector at dspector@psu.edu as attachments to your email message. Alternately, you can print the forms and fill them out by hand and deliver them to Dr. Spector. NOTE THAT YOU NEED AN APPROVED BIOSAFETY ASSURANCE NUMBER TO COMPLETE THESE FORMS!

Download:  Adenovirus Construction Request Form    Adenovirus Production Form      Adenovirus Purification Form

Download:  Retrovirus Request Forms

Services and Fee structure

Adenovirus services

1.  Construction of recombinant adenovirus - $1000 base charge, $500 for each construct (up to 4).

    The core facility will provide purified shuttle vector to the investigator for gene insertion.  The investigator will construct the recombinant and screen for the desired insert (the facility will do the construction for an added fee - see item 2 below).  The investigator will return the shuttle vector clone as a bacterial stock to the facility and the facility will isolate DNA.  The core facility will produce and isolate recombinant transfer vector (protocol 1) or viral DNA overlap fragment (protocol 2).  For protocol 1, the facility will screen for retention of the insert by PCR using primers provided by the investigator.  The facility will isolate recombinant virus in 293 cells, screen and plaque purify.  The result will be a low titer cell lysate.

2.  Adenovirus shuttle vector construction - $200

    The facility will cut and ligate insert and shuttle vector fragments.  The facility will screen by sequencing and provide the recombinant vector to the investigator for any expression testing. 

3.  Amplification of recombinant virus - $50 base charge per virus, $10 per each T150 flask

    The core facility will amplify virus in 293 cells and provide 1 ml of concentrated virus-containing cell lysate per T150 flask.

4.  Plaque titration of adenovirus - $50 per virus

    The core facility will assay a virus stock by plaque titration on 293 cells.

5.  Plaque purification of adenovirus - $250 per virus

    The core facility will purify adenovirus by three cycles of plaque purification and screening.  The result will be a low titer lysate.

6.  Purification of a high titer adenovirus stock - $200 per virus plus amplification cost

    The core facility will provide a purified stock of virus with at least 10¹² particles.

7. Screen of recombinant stock for replication competent adenovirus (RCA) - $100 per virus

    The core facility will screen for RCA by PCR.

8. Screen of recombinant stock for contaminating adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) - $100 per virus

    The core facility will screen for AAV-2 by PCR.

Retrovirus services

1.  Construction of recombinant retrovirus vector - $1000 per virus

    The investigator will provide a purified plasmid carrying the appropriate insert to the core facility.  The facility will clone the insert into a retroviral vector supplied by the investigator. Correct cloning of inserts will be confirmed by sequencing.  The facility will amplify and purify the recombinant vector, and provide the virus yield from a 100 mm dish.

2.  Small scale recombinant virus production - $100 per virus

    The core facility will provide the yield from a 100 mm dish.

3.  Retrovirus titration - $100 per virus

    The core facility will assay virus on NIH3T3 cells.