Animal models
BSL3: Access to high containment lab facilities
The BSL3 in Rotterdam, was founded to accommodate safe research on infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. The BSL3 research lab facility in Rotterdam was designed to operate according to the highest international biosafety and biosecurity standards, and to facilitate research to multiple teams simultaneously, thus providing unique opportunities for collaborative COVID-19 research using a variety of research modalities including high end instruments for experiments and analyses, in vivo (animals) and in vitro.
IRTA-CReSA: Preclinical research facilities
IRTA-CReSA is a public research institute devoted to research in animal health following the One Health concept. In the context of COVID-19 crisis, the BSL3 large animal and laboratory facilities can support SARS-CoV-2 isolation, in vitro studies of anti-viral and antibody efficacy, in vivo studies of anti-viral, antibody and vaccine efficacy (once hACE2 transgenic mice become available), antiviral, antibody and vaccine research, and animal infection model development.
ERINHA: High containment facilities for pre-clinical research
The European Research Infrastructure on Highly Pathogenic Agents (ERINHA) provides access to its members – leading European high containment facilities (BSL3 and BSL4) -, as well as expertise and project management services to advance research on SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19. The available high containment research capacities include: in vitro research capacity (standard virologic assays, high throughput SARS-CoV-2 screening assays, diagnostic development and testing capacity, virus propagation and quantification), in vivo research capacity (small animal disease models, Non-Human Primates (NHP) disease models, standard in vivo virologic and immunological assays, pre-clinical vaccines and therapeutics testing). Additionally ERINHA provides support for coordination of pre-clinical research activities, project management and advise on protocols.
TRANSVAC2: Support for COVID-19 vaccine development
TRANSVAC2 has redirected the currently open call to focus on SARS-Cov2 vaccine efforts. Researchers developing vaccine candidates against COVID-19 are encouraged to apply and benefit from all TRANSVAC2 services, such as:
- Adjuvant formulation (Vaccine Formulation Institute and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research)
- Structural Biology (INSTRUCT)
- Animal models (CEA, BPRC, IRTA-CReSA and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research Clinical Trial Support)
- ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network)
- Regulatory support (EATRIS and European Vaccine Initiative)
CCP: Priority access to Covid-19 research projects
Czech Centre for Phenogenomics (CCP) generates rodent models related to diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the Covid-19 virus infection (e.g. several serine protease mouse mutant lines). Available resources, services and support include generation of rodent disease models relevant for Covid-19 research, standard cryopreservation and archiving services, advanced secondary phenotyping pipelines relevant to lung inflammation and fibrosis, pre-clinical testing, metabolomics and MALDI imaging from tissue samples and biopsies. Project proposals can be submitted by email, and will be evaluated and conducted with the highest priority.
CCP is a member of INFRAFRONTIER and due to the comprehensive portfolio of its expertise, it has also become a member of international consortium IMPC.
EATRIS: Biomedical research resources
The research resources of European Infrastructure for Translational Medicine (EATRIS) are highly relevant for the research community in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has created an inventory of all related research activities underway at EATRIS facilities.
As part of the Alliance of Medical Infrastructures with BBMRI and ECRIN, EATRIS also offers a Fast Response Service for researchers.
INFRAFRONTIER: Model mammalian genome resources
INFRAFRONTIER has created a dedicated webpage listing all its specific resources and services for COVID-19 research. This site also lists the INFRAFRONTIER nodes that offer emergency archiving of mouse lines for laboratories that cannot maintain their colonies due to the coronavirus crisis.