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Viral Reference Materials

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Viral reference materials are crucial for standardization and reproducibility in gene therapy

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vectors are important vehicles for clinical gene therapy and other applications. However, investigators were unable to standardize vector doses, even with the use of specific protocols and the same reagents.1 Motivated by this challenge, scientists came together nearly 20 years ago as members of the Adenovirus Reference Material Working Group (ARMWG) to develop viral reference standard materials for gene therapy. Their goal was to use adenovirus reference standard materials (RSMs) in the calibration of vector standards within individual laboratories and improve preclinical and clinical data comparisons using common dosages.2 The adenovirus reference standard material was developed to define the particle titer, vector genome titer, and infectious titer for adenovirus-based gene vectors.3 

The global availability of adenovirus RSMs permits the standardization of quantification techniques between research and manufacturing organizations and makes interpretation of preclinical and clinical data easier to compare across the field. The adenovirus RSMs are intended for use as internationally accepted standards for the purpose of calibrating internal product-specific reference materials.

See our adenovirus reference material products below to support standardization and precision in global gene therapy research.


1 Lock M, McGorray S, et al. Characterization of a Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Type 2 Reference Standard Material, Oct 21(10):1273-85, 2010.

2 Moullier P, Snyder RO. Recombinant adeno-associated viral vector reference standards. Methods Enzymol, 507:297-311, 2012.

3 Hutchins B. Development of a Reference Material for Characterizing Adenovirus Vectors. BioProcess J 1(1): 25-29, 2002.

Gray coronavirus sphere with red and orange protruding particles.

Animal virus reference strains

If you’re looking for other viral reference strains, ATCC’s collection of animal viruses and related reference materials are available to the global scientific community to support basic research and diagnostic development.

These authenticated and fully characterized materials include those relevant to major public health emergencies such as Zika virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the Influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus, and the Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Human Adenovirus Type 5 Reference Material

All new stocks of the reference material will be produced and authenticated at ATCC instead of by an outside working group—that means no more supply limitations when ordering! Because of the necessary differences in manufacturing between new lots and the original 2001 production, there are a few changes to the reference material as compared to previous stocks. We have provided a comparison for reference.

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Viral Reference Materials

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