Mapping the viruses living in people’s bodies
Biospecimen Analysis Core: Generating high quality data to characterize the human virome
This project will use advanced genome sequencing to find and catalog viruses and bacteriophages in stool, urine, blood, mouth, nose, skin, and when relevant, vaginal samples from thousands of people across the United States.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Broad Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11261065 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would provide one or more samples such as stool, urine, blood, saliva, nasal swabs, skin swabs, and when relevant, vaginal samples. The team will use high-throughput metagenomic sequencing and develop lab protocols to recover both RNA and DNA viruses from each sample type. They plan special methods for low-biomass samples like plasma, use long-read sequencing to improve viral genome assembly, and apply pooled library strategies to increase throughput and lower costs. All samples will be processed through the Broad Institute’s genomics platform to build a large, searchable map of the human virome.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People in the United States who are willing to provide stool, urine, blood, mouth, nose, skin, or vaginal samples could be eligible to contribute.
Not a fit: Individuals who cannot or will not provide biological samples, or whose health concerns are unrelated to viral exposures, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal viruses associated with health or disease, improve diagnostics, and support future prevention or treatment approaches.
How similar studies have performed: Previous virome and metagenomic studies have successfully identified human viruses and phages, while this large, multi-site effort and its method development are relatively novel and designed to increase sensitivity and coverage.
Where this research is happening
Cambridge, United States
- Broad Institute, INC. — Cambridge, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gnirke, Andreas — Broad Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Gnirke, Andreas
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.