This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. In the last four years, the goal of this laboratory core facility has been to establish needed human and physical resources to support research studies in the area of HIV/AIDS and substances of abuse. Specialized personnel and research technology (nucleic acid extraction and amplification, genotyping, flow cytometry, proteomics, microarray, and cytokines and chemokines quantification) have become available to research studies in the areas of immunology, drugs abuse and HIV/AIDS related infectious diseases. Three external consultants (Drs. Madhavan Nair, Avindra Nath and Khan Bandiwala) and three mentors (Drs. Salin Merali, Robert Donahoe and Geoffrey Stone) are now available for guidance and effective development of the projects and in doing so, foster collaborations with local and external researchers. Support for the specimen repository as well as for the informatics system used for monitoring this repository has been provided. Improved scientific productivity (12 publications, 29 presentations in scientific meetings and more that 1,000 samples processed), and ongoing efforts to institutionalize this facility are described. In addition, service of this core facility has now been extended to include the Retrovirus Research Center, the PR Comprehensive HIV Health Disparity Center and the Center for Addiction Studies.