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

NERCE Projects and Cores

Investigators and Institutions Supported

Measurable Output

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