Services:

• Sample Collection & Processing – Access unprocessed or processed sputum, blood, urine, stool, cells, bacterial isolates and other biologics from Emory’s adult and pediatric CF clinics, including healthy and lung disease controls.
• Biobanking & Storage – Secure, long-term storage of biospecimens for future research.
• Clinical Data Integration – A robust database linking each sample to comprehensive, de-identified clinical data.
• Research Support & Consultation – Work with our experts to design studies and optimize sample utilization.

Pricing:

Each price reflects the minimum personnel effort and supply costs required. The listed base rates apply to internal users subsidized by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, while non-academic users are subject to rates up to 56% higher than Emory’s standard pricing. 

• Fresh Biological Sample (unprocessed blood or expectorated sputum): $47/sample
• Sputum-processed: $99/500µl
• Sputum-induced: $109/500µl
• Exhaled Breath Condensate: $94
• Bronchoalveolar fluid: $331
• Blood processed: $82
• Bacterial Isolates: $32
• Curated Shared Isolates: $17
• Non-invasive Sample Collection, Skin Biopsy, Nasal Brushing, RNALater: $26
• Service Consultation, Data Retrieval, Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM):  $46/hour

For more information, please contact Dr. Kymry Jones or Chris Driggers. For questions about using the core for your project, please contact Dr. Arlene Stecenko. Each price reflects the minimum personnel effort and supply costs required. The listed base rates apply to internal users subsidized by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, while non-academic users are subject to rates up to 56% higher than Emory’s standard pricing. 

Harmonized Sputum Processing

To ensure consistency and maximize research potential, the CF-BR has partnered with the Chandler, Kopp, and Tirouvanziam labs to develop a standardized sputum processing method. This harmonized processing approach enhances data sharing, fosters collaboration, and supports longitudinal studies on CF lung disease, especially during this pivotal era of highly effective modulator therapies and emerging gene therapy trials.  Dedicated technicians homogenize and process sputum samples immediately, providing high-quality materials for diverse research applications including:

• Sputum Supernatant
  • Cell-free supernatant processed via sequential centrifugation.
  • Total protein concentration measured for assay standardization.
  • Ideal for airway conditioning studies and research on small molecules, macromolecules, and extracellular vesicles.
  • Availability: 2 x 500 µl per specimen banked in the CF-BR.
• Bacterial RNA
  • Bacteria isolated and RNA preserved with RNALater.
  • Banked at -80°C for researcher access.
• Supporting Data (Linked to biobanked samples and clinical data)
  • FACS analysis characterizing airway leukocytes (neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, eosinophils, lymphocytes).
  • Sputum supernatant protein concentration for assay standardization and potential disease outcome correlations.
• Additional project-specific data, including:
  • Fresh leukocyte assays
  • Sputum metabolite and protein profiles
  • CFTR modulator level assessments