We are actively seeking volunteers to participate in a research study investigating human salivary biomarkers that arise early in response to infectious disease. If you’re over 18, can spit in a tube, and can receive text surveys for 10 days you may be eligible.
How do I participate?
To participate, stop by one of our tabling events in the University Memorial Center (UMC) at one of the dates listed below or contact us to schedule an appointment.
The entire process including completing the consent form, providing a sample, and responding to your first text survey takes about 10 minutes.
UMC Table Days:
Find us in the hallway across from Starbucks and the Alfred Packer Grill or outside near the fountain area on warm days!
We’ll update this page as more dates become available.
Benefits of Participation
While there are no direct benefits to volunteers, the data you provide to the research team contributes to scientific research important for infectious disease prevention.
As an incentive to complete the follow-up surveys, we are holding multiple drawings to give away GiantMicrobe plushies! To be eligible for the drawing, you must respond to at least eight out of the ten possible survey days. You will be contacted by the research team to arrange receipt of the plushie if you are chosen in the random drawing.
If you are able to visit us at one of our recruitment tables, we will also have cold & flu season-themed freebies to give away. Hope to see you there!
Research Objectives
What are we looking for?
We are looking for biomarkers of infectious disease in human saliva that arise before a person develops symptoms. Eventually, this data could be used to help identify infectious people before they become contagious thus limiting the spread of infectious to other people.
Why do we need saliva samples?
Saliva is an easy-to-obtain body fluid that contains molecules that may be useful in determining if a person might be getting sick with an infection. No invasive procedures are necessary to collect saliva, which limits potential risk to participants. This study only requires a small volume of saliva, less than a teaspoon, which most volunteers can produce in less than two minutes.
What is the purpose of the text message surveys?
We are hoping to find biomarkers that indicate a possible infection before a person becomes contagious or develops symptoms. Earlier detection could eventually lead to fewer cases of illness. The text surveys help us track how you are feeling and we compare that with the biomarkers that may be present in your saliva sample.
What can this study tell me about my health?
For privacy protection and confidentiality, individual results are not tracked by name and are not released to individuals. This is a basic science research study and is NOT a clinical trial designed to diagnose or treat you. However, the information you provide in the course of your participation may be used in the future to help protect others from infectious diseases.
What happens to the saliva samples at the lab?
The saliva you provide to us is tracked and stored with a random ID code to protect your confidentiality. Whole samples will be stored on the CU Boulder campus in a freezer in our lab. Each sample may undergo different types of processing and analysis including techniques for identifying, amplifying, and detecting potential biomarkers.
Please be aware, once you donate your sample to our study, it is stored in a deidentified manner and it cannot be withdrawn from the study. Deidentified means we will not know which sample belongs to a specific individual, so we are unable to single your sample out to remove it.
Sawyer Lab
At the Sawyer Lab, we study how animal viruses evolve as they infect new species, including humans. We mainly study HIV and dengue virus, but have published research on the spillover of many other viruses as well. At the same time, we identify key host immune components that restrict viral replication. Through the process, we also seek to understand how these immune components evolved to be the way they are.
Contact Us
Address: Sawyer Lab, 3415 Colorado Ave., JSCBB D280, Boulder, CO
Phone: (303) 837-2161
Email: Camille.Paige@Colorado.edu