Shared Resources
Behavioral & Community-Based Research Shared Resource (BCSR)
Services
- Coordinate Recruitment and Retention of Study Participants
- Development of Culturally and Linguistically Tailored Study Materials
- Data and Sample Collection in Clinical and Community Settings
- Assist Development and Delivery of Evidence-Based Interventions
The BCSR facilitates behavioral, psychosocial, community, translational, and population-based research. In addition to supporting cancer-focused studies, the BCSR provides services for critical COVID-19 testing, tracking, and tracing at the University of Miami and the surrounding community.
Role in this Study
The BCSR facilitates wastewater- and surface-sample collection, and facilitates access to COVID-19 population-level data from human surveillance.
Biospecimen Shared Resource (BSSR)
Services
- Biospecimen Collection, Annotation, Processing, Storage, and Distribution
- Rapid Acquisition of Surgical Tissue and Fresh Biopsies
- Plasma, Serum, and PBMC Processing and Cryopreservation
- FFPE and Frozen Tissue Processing, Sectioning, Staining, and Scanning
- Participant Screening and Enrollment for Biospecimen Studies
Role in this Study
The BSSR is the biorepository for the environmental samples (air, surface, and wastewater) from this study and provides sample metadata annotation, tracking, processing (concentration), storage, and distribution. The BSSR also provides support for basic physical-chemical measurements and culture-based microbiological analyses (including analysis of E. coli) for the wastewater samples.
Onco-Genomics Shared Resource
Services
- Next-Generation Sequencing
- Single-Cell Genomics
- Spatial Genomics
- Digital Gene Expression
- Sample Preparation (Nucleic Acid Extraction and Purification)
Role in this Study
The OGSR receives concentrated samples from the BSSR and provides rapid RNA extraction and purification, rapid detection with RT-qPCR and LAMP, and next-generation sequencing for samples that test positive for SARS-CoV-2, for strain variant ID and metagenomics.
Center for AIDS Research (CFAR)
Laboratory Sciences Core (LSC)
Services
- Human Primary Cell Preparation
- Evaluation of Cytokines and Soluble Mediators
- Flow Cytometry, Luminex and ELISA Services (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)
- Cell Assays and Microbial Marker Evaluation
- Multiplex RT-qPCR
- Virology Services
Role in this Study
The LSC provides rapid viral detection with a novel rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method developed and adapted for wastewater surveillance by a CFAR investigator (Mark Sharkey).
Miami CTSI Clinical & Translational Science Institute
Biostatistics Collaboration and Consulting Core (BCCC)
Services
- Study Design and Statistical Support for Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research
- Randomization Schemes for Sampling Designs and Group Assignment
- Facilitates Design of Appropriate Statistical Analysis Plans
- Sample Size Estimation and Power Analysis
- Longitudinal, Multivariate, and Survival Analysis
- Data and Database Management
Role in this Study
The BCCC provides support for developing study and experimental designs that maximize efficiency, increase interpretability and generalizability, and enhance the ethical conduct of research. The BCCC facilitates the formulation of hypotheses that are statistically testable; applies robust and efficient analytic methods to estimate effects precisely and to efficiently test significance; and helps refine measurements to increase precision and sensitivity. The BCCC is
facilitating the development of COVID-19 disease predictive models that integrate human and environmental SARS-CoV-2 surveillance data.
