The Virology and Immunology Cores of the CFAR merged as of November 1, 2013, and have now added Microbiology services to the Core. The new name is Virology, Immunology, and Microbiology (VIM) Core. Dr. Marcia Hobbs brings her microbiology expertise and several new services to the core, including testing for N. gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Trichomonas. The new VIM Core will continue to provide our users with state-of-the-art HIV, and now STD, testing in CAP/CLIA laboratories, and continues the aims of providing laboratory support and facilitating AIDS research among CFAR investigators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, FHI 360, and RTI International.

The Virology, Immunology & Microbiology Core Laboratory is a group of established investigators and very experienced technologists who provide a high level of expertise in state of the art technologies for processing human specimens, running HIV virologic and immunologic assays, running microbiological assays for associated STDs, providing access to state-of-the-art equipment for laboratory use, and developing new experimental protocols. The VIM Core serves as a repository for long- and short-term storage of biological specimens from HIV+ patients and maintains a current CDC-USPHS permit for importing HIV+ specimens from foreign countries. We provide laboratory data to the Clinical Core CFAR Database and we train infectious disease fellows and local and foreign scientists in our BSL-2 and BSL-3 facilities.

The newly merged Core has just undergone a rate review, with increases in some of our rates for services. We have also added rates for Microbiological tests. Rates for virology, immunology, and microbiology services can be found under the “Services” tab.

For more information about the VIM Core and their services, please visit their page.