PC3 Platform for Respiratory and Vector-Borne Viruses

PC3 Facility research

The QIMR Berghofer Emerging Viral Diseases Laboratory is one of the few Australian institutes offering contract R&D for high-containment respiratory and vector-borne viruses in our certified, state-of-the-art PC3 Facility. We provide in vivo and in vitro studies designed and customised to meet your specific research needs, supporting the development of antivirals, vaccines, and immunomodulators from early discovery through to IND-enabling studies.

Our virus and disease mouse models are designed to closely mimic human disease progression and have supported multiple high-impact programs advancing to non-human primate studies, clinical trials, and veterinary applications. Complementing our PC3 capabilities, we provide a comprehensive portfolio of PC2 models for vector-borne viruses as outlined in the table below.

Services
  • In vivo virus challenge models (PC3 and PC2)
  • In vitro antiviral efficacy and cytotoxicity profiling
  • Immunogenicity and vaccine response profiling
  • Mechanism of action (MOA) studies
  • Customised study design, execution, and reporting
Assay capabilities
  • Antibody ELISA
  • Virus neutralisation assays
  • Virus inhibition in cell culture (IC50) assays
  • Cytotoxicity and cytomorbidity (CC50) assays
  • Virus titration in serum, tissue, and cell culture
  • Viral RNA quantification (serum, tissue, cell culture)
  • Histopathology and immunohistochemistry
  • RNA sequencing for enhanced virus detection and detailed MOA studies

Virus and disease models

Virus Containment Table
Containment Level Virus Group Viruses Supported Disease Model
BSL-3 (PC3) Coronaviruses SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonitis
Alphaviruses Chikungunya virus Arthritis
Flaviviruses Japanese encephalitis virus Encephalitis
BSL-2 (PC2) Flaviviruses West Nile virus Encephalitis
Zika virus Congenital Zika
Dengue virus Viremia
Murray Valley encephalitis virus Encephalitis
Yellow fever 17D Hepatitis
Ross River virus Arthritis
Alphaviruses O'nyong-nyong virus Arthritis
Mayaro virus Arthritis
Getah virus Arthritis