Award
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 5F30AI188777-02
Comprehensively mapping the functional and antigenic effects of mutations to the Lassa virus glycoprotein complex
Recipient
University of Washington
Award Amount
$34,114.00
Ceiling
$34,114.00
Awarded
August 03, 2026
Identifier
5F30AI188777-02
Award to University of Washington to study mutations in Lassa virus glycoprotein complex to aid vaccine and therapeutic design.
Description
This project aims to use pseudovirus deep mutational scanning to map how amino-acid mutations in the glycoprotein complex (GPC) of the Lassa virus affect cell entry and neutralization by monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. The study will characterize functional constraints across GPC and Lassa lineages, identify escape mutations, and assess how natural diversity impacts the neutralizing capability of potential therapeutics. The results will inform vaccine and therapeutic design and will be integrated into an interactive Lassa virus phylogenetic tree on Nextstrain.