Pan-Microbial Serology Facility (PMSF)

The Pan-Microbial Serology Facility (PMSF) is part of the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The PMSF focuses on determining individualized pan-microbial immune profiles associated with human diseases including immunological disorders such as cancer by providing a standardized intramural technological portal.

Throughout our lives, we are exposed to various microbes including viruses, creating an individualized microbial landscape. Each microbe infection can leave unique immunological footprints, known as antigen-specific antibodies, which result in a personalized microbial immune profile. Both pathogenic and non-pathogenic microbes can interact with each other and the host, influencing the host’s immune system and potentially altering its response to new infections and the risk of disease such as cancer. Wang and colleagues at the NCI demonstrated that unique viral exposure signatures are predictive of risk and early onset of liver cancer (2, 5). This was accomplished through the utility of a microbial phage library developed by Elledge Lab in Harvard University (Xu GJ et al, Science 348: aaa0698, 2015).

The PMSF is interested in collaborating with other research laboratories to study human diseases including cancer. We have established a standard operating procedure for measuring individualized pan-microbial immune repertoires in human biological fluids such as serum and plasma, and other liquid biopsies that contain immunoglobulin by providing a standardized intramural technological portal and bioinformatics expertise. Interested collaborators should submit a proposal outlining the biological and clinical importance of their research questions. Collaborators are expected to accept cost-sharing plans.

Established Technologies

The PMSF utilizes a new phage-immunoprecipitation-sequencing (PhIP-seq) technology to profile circulating anti-microbial antibodies in human liquid biopsies including serum, plasma, and other biological fluids that contain immunoglobulins. The current phage library displays over 100, 000 microbial peptides derived from almost all known human viruses and some bacteria. In contrast to conventional microbial antibody tests, which profile a single antibody for one microbial antigen in one sample at a time, the phage immunoprecipitation technology enables comprehensive profiling of the entire human microbial antibody repertoire across multiple samples simultaneously and at an epitope-level resolution. This technology has been successfully applied to study many human diseases including cancer, infectious disease, autoimmune disease, and neurological diseases.

Staff Information

Atlas Mashayekhi Sardoo, Ph.D.
Research Summary
Atlas Sardoo received her Ph.D. in human genetics and infectious disease from Nova de Lisboa University. In the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, her research focuses on VirScan, an application of the phage immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-Seq) method for profiling the specificities of human antiviral antibodies. She is studying viral exposures as early biomarkers of liver cancer and is part of the Human Virome Core in LHC. In her free time, she likes coloring color therapy notebooks and hiking.

Areas of Expertise
Bioinformatics Translational Biology

Christine Ma, B.A.
Research Summary
Christine worked in a research lab at Wuhan University and moved to the United States in 2014. Her research utilizes cutting-edge immunology assays in combination with next-generation sequencing-based genomic technologies to address questions in epidemiology and cancer biology. Her current focus in the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis is on the development of liquid biopsy-based biomarkers for the early detection, diagnosis, and prognosis prediction of cancer.  She is part of the Human Virome Core in the LHC. In her spare time, Christine enjoys gardening and cooking.

Areas of Expertise
Cell Biology Immunology Molecular Biology Biochemistry High-throughput Screening Assays