Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)

Q. How do I order research materials?
A. The TB Contract is no longer taking requests for research materials. All materials are now available through the Biodefense and Emerging Infections Research Resources Repository (BEI Resources).

Q. How do you define a collaboration?
A. A collaboration is defined as a highly interactive relationship between an investigator and the contract. The overall goals of these collaborations are to define either a novel activity attributed to a unique mycobacterial product, or to develop a novel technology applicable to the tuberculosis research community. Collaboration is much more than consulting or technical support. The best measurement of success of a collaboration is when grant funding results from the work, although publications are also a good measure of success. Another measure of success is an increase in the number of requests for contract materials as a result of collaborative research activities.

Q. How should I reference materials received from this contract in my publications?
A. Under the acknowledgments section, please list that you received the materials as part of NIH, NIAID Contract No. HHSN266200400091C, entitled "Tuberculosis Vaccine Testing and Research Materials," which was awarded to Colorado State University.

Q. How do I store my material?
A. All material, with the exception of DNA, can be stored for up to two weeks at 4°C or frozen at -20°C for short periods. For long term storage, product should be kept at -80°C. DNA should be stored at 4°C at all times. It is recomended that, if you only need a small amount of material at a time, you resolublize the material and make appropriate aliquots, rather than freezing and thawing multiple times.

Q. How do I resolublize my sample?
A. If you received dried materials, resuspend them as follows:

• Purified proteins and lipoglycans - readily soluble in aqueous, buffered solution, with a salt concentration of 100 to 500 mM.
• Subcellular fractions - generally soluble in an aqueous, buffered solution, with a salt concentration of 100 to 500 mM. Some fractions may require sonication to achieve a uniform suspension.
• Plasmids and antibodies - molecular biology grade water. Antibodies may require bath sonication or gentle agitation to achieve a uniform suspension.
• Lipids and glycolipids - generally soluble in DMSO or chloroform. DMSO is preferred if the product is to be used in downstream biological assays. Resuspend products in a minimal volume of solvent and then dilute into buffer or tissue culture medium to use the product in biological assays. Note: Peptidoglycan and other cell wall products are poorly soluble. Sonication is generally required to achieve a uniform suspension.

Q. How many cells are in 1 gram of wet weight?
A. Each 100 ml culture of M. tuberculosis yields approximately 1 g of cells, which is equivalent to 8.7x10¹¹ bacterial cells.

Q. Who do I contact if I have additional questions?
A. If you have questions about vaccine testing, contact Dr. Angelo Izzo. Contact Megan Lucas for all questions regarding research materials. Be sure to include your principal investigator's name and BEI registration number in all correspondences.