The Biorepository for Severe Emerging Infections (BSEI) is a collection of archived and preserved samples and accompanying clinical data from patients with severe emerging infections such as Ebola virus, mpox, COVID-19, as well as other known and unknown diseases that may emerge in the future. Many of the specimens are excess diagnostic samples that are deidentified and do not require IRB permission for research, and others are collected specifically for research purposes through IRB-approved protocols.

BSEI was started at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic with the support of the Sealy Foundation and in collaboration with Dr. Scott Weaver in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Dr. Mike Kinsky, Director of the Clinical Research Core. The repository utilizes protocols for acquisition of de-identified discarded tissue as well as a prospective collection protocol for more extensive bio-sampling from consented subjects with presumed or confirmed infections with a pathogen of concern. BSEI holds biospecimens and clinical data from over 100 COVID-19 positive subjects, 1000’s of confirmed COVID-19 nasal swabs, samples from mpox patients, and samples from laboratory workers with high-risk exposures.

If your research would benefit from human samples and/or clinical metadata, please reach out to discuss how we can best fit your research needs

Corri Levine, PhD, MS, MPH
Director of the Biorepository for Severe Emerging Infections
Program Manager for Networking and Research Preparedness, SPECTRE
Email: cblevine@utmb.edu