Award
NIH Reporter #5R01AI169022-04
Transmission of CoV-2 and the Impact of Spike Protein Evolution
Recipient
Washington University, Saint Louis, MO
Award Amount
$562,091.00
Ceiling
$562,091.00
Awarded
July 17, 2026
Identifier
5R01AI169022-04
Research project funded to study SARS-CoV-2 transmission and the impact of spike protein evolution on infection and immune response, to inform vaccine development.
Description
This project aims to understand SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics and immune protection mechanisms to inform vaccine strategies. It will use barcoded or tagged SARS-CoV-2 to quantify the number of virus particles that establish infection in the recipient host, using the Syrian hamster airborne transmission model. The study will examine how innate and adaptive immune responses affect transmission and assess transmission in animals previously infected, vaccinated, or receiving neutralizing antibodies.