The CF Discovery Core and CF-BR provide researchers with high-quality, patient-derived biospecimens (CF, healthy, and lung disease controls), integrated clinical data, and expert consultation to accelerate CF research. Our diverse sample offerings—including blood, sputum, cells, bacterial isolates, and other biologics—combined with specialized services such as standardized sputum processing, ensure reliable, research-ready materials for a wide range of studies. By connecting longitudinal biospecimens with clinical data, the CF Discovery Core drives discoveries in CF pathophysiology, treatment response, and disease progression, ultimately improving patient care.

Our 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.

For project planning or sample access, contact Dr. Arlene Stecenko to discuss how the CF Discovery Core can support your research.

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. 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

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.

The CF Discovery Core and CF-BR located at Emory Children's Center offer fresh and frozen patient-derived samples, available for pickup or delivery, to support internal and external researchers studying CF. To initiate new projects, please contact Dr. Arlene Stecenko. 

Patient-derived sample requests require approval by the Research Oversight Committee (ROC), consisting of clinicians, researchers, biostatisticians, and clinical research coordinators to ensure feasibility and scientific rigor. The committee will be selected depending according to your project needs, and may include these standing committee members: 

For submission of a ROC request form, please contact Dr. Kymry Jones.

The prioritization for distribution of samples from the CF-BR is as follows:

• First priority: Emory+Children’s core CF research team.
• Second priority: Investigators using these samples for NIH and CF Foundation funded projects.
• Third priority: Investigators using these samples to generate preliminary data for NIH and CFF grant proposals.
• Fourth priority: Investigators outside of Atlanta, except in cases of established collaborations.

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. 

Sample types:

• Fresh Biological Sample (unprocessed blood or expectorated sputum): $47/sample
• Sputum-processed: $99/500µl
• Sputum-induced: $74/500µl
• Exhaled Breath Condensate: $100
• Bronchoalveolar fluid: $328
• Blood processed: $82
• Bacterial Isolates: $38
• Service Consultation and Data Retrieval: $46/hour
• Non-invasive Sample Collection: $26
• Skin Biopsy: $26
• Nasal Brushing: $30
• Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM): $106

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. 

The CF Discovery Core is generously supported by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University. When presenting or publishing work completed using the core, please include "Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University Pediatric CF Discovery Core" in the acknowledgments.

To determine if you should use "Children's Healthcare of Atlanta" in your author affiliations, please see guidelines here.

Dr. Balazs Rada: (The University of Georgia)
"The Rada laboratory at the University of Georgia studies neutrophil-mediated inflammation in cystic fibrosis airways using animal models and human biospecimen. The team also investigates autoimmunity in cystic fibrosis. The laboratory is involved in tight collaborations with several investigators at the Emory University CF Center related to these projects. The CF Discovery Core has played essential roles in all of our CF-related projects by providing blood and sputum samples, bacterial isolates and live immune cells obtained from cystic fibrosis patients."

Dr. Joshua Chandler: (Emory University)
“Access to the CF Discovery core is essential to my laboratory’s experiments. As a PhD scientist, reliable access to deidentified fresh and frozen clinical samples is a wonderful benefit that is difficult to overstate. Additionally, we have used the core’s well-organized clinical data – such as which patients are taking highly effective CFTR modulators – to make novel discoveries within our results and carve out new research directions.”