Viral Integration Site Analysis (VISA) for HIV studies

• Determines where HIV integrates into a genome and uses that as a unique molecular barcode for the infected cells.
• Maps and tracks integration sites from thousands to millions of cells.

Process

• Uses linker-mediated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine where retrovirus integrates into the genome.
  • High-throughput next-generation sequencing.
  • Sophisticated bioinformatics pipeline.

HIV expertise

Together with NCI investigators, the FNL’s Genomics Technology Laboratory pioneered the use of this technology to study the clonality of HIV provirus in HIV patients. The study revealed a new mechanism of HIV persistence in patients under long-term combinatorial antiviral therapy (Maldarelli et al, Science, 2014).

The service includes sufficient basic consultation with a subject matter expert.