SERCEB Southeast Regional Centers of Excellence for Bio*

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Region IV RCE is the Southeastern Regional Center of Excellence in Emerging Infections and Biodefense or SERCEB. SERCEB has unified the major research institutions in Region IV, and has established collaborations with Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, and the Vaccine Research Center at the NIH. The goals of SERCEB are to develop new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to better protect the nation against potential bioterrorist threats. This will be accomplished by interdisciplinary and collaborative research using cutting edge science. A major research focus is on novel vaccine development for orthopoxviruses, Bacillus anthracis and Yersinia pestis, with each program led by a team of internationally renowned investigators (Programs 1, 3, 4, and 5). Two immunology programs will interact synergistically with the vaccine programs: Program 6 will develop strategies to modulate innate immunity to enhance immune responses to select agents and vaccines, and Program 7 will develop strategies to enhance adaptive T and B immune responses to select agents and vaccines. New drug development will include rapid screening of existing compounds and development of entirety novel drugs against orthopoxviruses (Program 2), as well as therapeutics directed at innate immunity (Program 6), Anthrax (Program 5), and Yersinia pestis (Program 4). Multiple sophisticated cores will provide powerful assistance for development of vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics. SERCEB also will help to bring new investigators to the biodefense effort, through a combination of educational programs, support of innovative new projects, and synergistic interactions among some of the best investigators in relevant research in the nation.