Award
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 5R01AI169022-04
Transmission of CoV-2 and the Impact of Spike Protein Evolution
Recipient
Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, United States
Award Amount
$562,091.00
Ceiling
$562,091.00
Awarded
July 17, 2026
Identifier
5R01AI169022-04
NIH awarded a research grant to Washington University to study SARS-CoV-2 transmission and immune response using a hamster model, aiming to inform vaccine development.
Description
This project aims to study airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and characterize the effects of innate and adaptive immune protection on transmission and dissemination of SARS-CoV-2. It will use barcoded or tagged SARS-CoV-2 in a Syrian hamster model to quantify transmission events, assess innate and adaptive immune responses, and evaluate the impact of immune escape on transmission bottlenecks. Insights gained will inform future vaccine development against respiratory viruses.