$22 million contract funds post-Sept. 11 infections study

The University of Iowa is the lead institution for a seven-year, $22.2 million contract for a research unit to study bacteria that cause respiratory illness in humans.

The unit's ultimate goal--to develop and test vaccines and treatments for the diagnosis, prevention, and management of bacterial respiratory infections--is a key concern to the federal government following the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

"The government wants researchers to develop strategies to enhance the immune response and evaluate candidate vaccines and drugs against emerging and reemerging pathogens and biological threat agents," said Michael Apicella, M.D., principal investigator. "We plan to form a coordinated, interactive, multi-disciplinary research network that will provide the necessary groundwork to support the production of vaccines and drugs against important human respiratory pathogens."

The research network also includes scientists from Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, The Ohio State University, and the University of Tennessee in Memphis.

UI will receive approximately two thirds of the funding, with the remaining funds supporting projects at the collaborating institutions.