CMI Center for Advanced Virus Experimentation (CAVE) Launches

The Comparative Medicine Institute TPP and EID programs are pleased to announce the formation of CAVE, the CMI Center for Advanced Virus Experimentation.

CAVE has been founded by an interdisciplinary, intercollege group of investigators including Drs. Frank Scholle (director), Laster, Pierce, and Ghiladi from COS, Drs. Crisci, Fogle, and Kaeser from CVM, Dr. Lila from PHHI/CALS, and Dr. Spontak form COE. Each founding member is well connected to investigators in diverse disciplines in the CMI and across the NC State campus.

CAVE is stocked with a variety of different viruses including our most recent pandemic diseases: Influenza A, Zika, Dengue, West Nile, and Coronavirus, and the founding members of CAVE have experience with a variety of assays typically used to monitor virus growth and infectivity. Currently ongoing are experiments comparing effectiveness of both natural and synthetic antimicrobial agents, with more projects on the way.

CAVE is looking to the future, a future where novel methods are used to prevent, diagnose, and treat pandemic virus infections. Do you have a novel compound or material that might exert an anti-viral effect? Are you interested in the genetic determinants that control sensitivity and resistance to virus infections? Do you want to know if it is possible to control virus replication through the foods we eat or engineer environments to inhibit virus infections? If so, CAVE is for you. Let us know about your ideas and how we can help with the collection of preliminary data.