120 likes | 288 Views
New England Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research . New England Regional Center of Excellence. Institutions currently with active research projects: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston University Medical Center
E N D
New England Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research
New England Regional Center of Excellence • Institutions currently with active research projects: • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center • Boston University Medical Center • Brigham and Woman’s Hospital • Center for Blood Research • Dartmouth Medical School • Harvard Medical School • Massachusetts General Hospital • Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Tufts University • University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth • University of Massachusetts Medical School
NERCE Components • 10 Research Programs • Mechanisms of toxin transport • Vectored vaccines for anthrax, West Nile virus and dengue virus • Tularemia vaccine • Structural analysis of dengue virus envelope protein • Role of innate immunity following infection by hemorrhagic fever viruses • 9 Core Laboratories / Programs • Small Molecule Screening -- Medicinal Chemistry • Proteomics -- BioMolecule Production • Clinical Studies -- NMR • Confocal Microscopy -- RNAi • BSL-3 Biocontainment Laboratory
NERCE Components • Developmental Projects Program • 9 Projects funded • Career Development Program • 6 Fellows supported • Collaborative Pilot Projects • 4 Projects funded • Emergency Response Plan • Support local first responders in the event of a biological emergency • LRN Category B Laboratory
Proteomics Core Laboratory • Comprehensive library of ORF clones • Y. pestis • 4195 clones • Distributed by TIGR • F. tularensis • 1804 clones • ~300 recombinant proteins • Identification of candidate vaccine antigens • B. anthracis, V. cholerae, and poxvirus libraries being prepared
National Screening Laboratory for the Research Centers of Excellence • High throughput screening of chemical libraries • >200,000 compounds • Investigator initiated and conducted • Probes of biological function • Hits may develop into pharmaceutical leads • Medicinal chemistry • Currently supporting 35 different screens, 20 from outside New England
Summary • RCEs have proven to be an effective organizational mechanism for rapidly increasing basic and early stage product focused research for biodefense pathogens and helping to create significant intellectual critical mass • RCEs facing significant challenges in the near future. • Maintaining momentum • Developing a national agenda • Translating basic research and product concepts into early stage product development
New England Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research