Region VIII Research Center for Excellence for Biodefen*

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this proposal is to establish a Regional Center of Excellence (RCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research in U.S. PHS Region VIII. The RCE goals are to: 1) develop investigator-directed research programs to address research and translational needs involving NIH Category A-C priority pathogens, 2) train researchers and other personnel for biodefense and emerging infectious disease activities and careers, 3) develop critical scientific core facilities to support research and training activities of the RCE and NIH, 4) develop translational research capacity for testing and validating vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for NIH priority pathogens, and 5) provide critical surge capacity, including facilities and trained personnel, for regional and national biodefense or emerging disease emergencies. The Region VIII RCE will be comprised of a consortium of universities, federal agencies, and companies, which will provide a highly interactive, multi-disciplinary environment for biodefense research and training. The RCE will develop critical knowledge, technologies, reagents, vaccines, and therapeutics for NIH priority pathogens and will provide human resource and facility capacity to address the purposeful release or natural emergence of potential BT pathogens and related agents. The RCE will be organized as a series of interconnected research and training nodes at participating institutions, which will complement and enhance their respective abilities and missions. The consortium will emphasize research and product development for NIH Category A-C zoonotic pathogens, many of which are less well studied than other NIH priority pathogens, including Francisella tularensis, Burkholderia spp, Yers/n/a pestis, Coxiella spp., and arboviral encephalitides (Eastern equine encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis virus, West Nile, and LaCrosse viruses), and other arboviral and rodent-borne Category A-C pathogens. The RCE consortium combined and the new Region VIII Biocontainment Laboratory, with the Animal Models, Product Development and Manufacturing, Genomics/Proteomics, and Select Agent Archive Cores will provide exceptional capacity to identify new products and provide new information and to translate these discoveries to usable products for biodefense. The proposed Region VIII research and training projects will provide new diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines as well as a new cadre of scientist, clinicians, and public health practitioners to help address emerging diseases, whether resulting from purposeful or natural events. The Region VIII RCE and RBL will provide a regional and national resource for biodefense research and response.