The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has a requirement for the discovery of T cell epitopes that are important in protection of humans from infectious diseases, with a focus on potential bioterrorism agents and other emerging and re-emerging Infectious Diseases.
The primary purpose of this initiative is to establish multiple highly interactive teams to discover such epitopes, with a focus on NIAID Category A, B, and C Priority Pathogens. It is anticipated that the multi-disciplinary teams will minimally include immunologists with the appropriate expertise in epitope identification and validation and microbiologists or virologists with expertise in the target pathogens.
This solicitation focuses on the identification and validation of immunodominant and subdominant T cell epitopes, which bind MHC class I, MHC class II, or non-classical MHC/HLA molecules. A companion solicitation for B cell epitopes is also available, B Cell Epitope Discovery and Mechanisms of Antibody Protection, BAA-NIAID-DAIT-NIHAI2012159.
The discovery and validation of novel T cell epitopes will facilitate the design and development of vaccines, improved immune-based therapeutics; and diagnostic tools for the prevention, treatment and detection of such infections, by providing critical information needed to select MHC-peptide or other MHC-ligand complexes that induce T cell activation for the generation and maintenance of protective immunity.
It is anticipated that multiple cost reimbursement, completion type contracts will be awarded for a five-year period of performance beginning on or about September 1, 2014.
Further details are available under Solicitation Number: BAA-NIAID-DAIT-NIHAI2013167.
