U24AI162625

Virus Taxonomy: A Community Knowledgebase Supporting Virus Research - Project Summary/Abstract

Viruses are able to infect every kind of organism on the planet. They play an integral part in maintaining normal ecosystems but sometimes cause perturbations that have adverse impacts on human health, agriculture, and the wider environment. Understanding the role that viruses play in ecosystems and developing approaches to mitigate their undesirable effects represents a major goal of virologists.

Organisms can only be understood in the context of their relationships. This begins with the delineation of common and distinguishing properties and is formalized by the science of taxonomy, which creates an ordered, hierarchical system of classification and nomenclature. Taxonomy is critical for building a holistic understanding of the biology of the organisms that inhabit this planet.

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) provides a coherent framework for understanding viruses by classifying them on the basis of their kinships as described by the virus taxonomy. The ICTV taxonomic database and programs form the bedrock used by virologists worldwide to understand the global virome, standardize the nomenclature of the huge influx of newly discovered viruses, and promote both research and education in a rapidly changing environment.

This proposal is aimed at expanding the effectiveness of the ICTV and strengthening its connections to a broad range of stakeholders. These include people involved in scientific, veterinary, medical, educational, and regulatory endeavors, and anyone else interested in viruses. Our aims focus on providing an integrated set of outcomes that modernize resources to ensure a stable, responsive, scalable infrastructure; increased availability and breadth of taxonomic and virological information; better tools to manage taxonomic classification and handling of data supporting high-throughput virus classification and curation; enhanced accessibility by individuals, groups, and information repositories; and outreach and training activities to ensure that the products of our efforts are used to benefit stakeholders and to promote better understanding of viruses and their classification.

This work will advance the capacity of bench scientists, computer scientists, educators, trade regulators, pharmaceutical firms, government agencies, policy makers, and the general public to conduct leading-edge research, mitigate the threat posed by viruses, and better understand the risks posed by viruses to human, animal, and agricultural health, and the planet's ecology. This work will also contribute to national and international security by helping governments to respond to unforeseen outbreaks of virus diseases such as COVID-19.

University Of Alabama At Birmingham

TO ASSIST PUBLIC AND PRIVATE NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS TO ESTABLISH, EXPAND AND IMPROVE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND RELATED AREAS, TO CONDUCT DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH, TO PRODUCE AND TEST RESEARCH MATERIALS. TO ASSIST PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO CONDUCT DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH, TO PRODUCE AND TEST RESEARCH MATERIALS, TO PROVIDE RESEARCH SERVICES AS REQUIRED BY THE AGENCY FOR PROGRAMS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES, AND CONTROLLING DISEASE CAUSED BY INFECTIOUS OR PARASITIC AGENTS, ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASES AND RELATED AREAS. PROJECTS RANGE FROM STUDIES OF MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANTIGENIC STRUCTURE TO COLLABORATIVE TRIALS OF EXPERIMENTAL DRUGS AND VACCINES, MECHANISMS OF RESISTANCE TO ANTIBIOTICS AS WELL AS RESEARCH DEALING WITH EPIDEMIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS OR COMMUNITY POPULATIONS AND PROGRESS IN ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASES. BECAUSE OF THIS DUAL FOCUS, THE PROGRAM ENCOMPASSES BOTH BASIC RESEARCH AND CLINICAL RESEARCH. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM EXPANDS AND IMPROVES PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. THE SBIR PROGRAM INTENDS TO INCREASE AND FACILITATE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. THE SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM STIMULATES AND FOSTERS SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. RESEARCH CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTISTS DURING THE FORMATIVE STAGES OF THEIR CAREERS. INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARDS (NRSAS) ARE MADE DIRECTLY TO APPROVE APPLICANTS FOR RESEARCH TRAINING IN SPECIFIED BIOMEDICAL SHORTAGE AREAS. IN ADDITION, INSTITUTIONAL NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARDS ARE MADE TO ENABLE INSTITUTIONS TO SELECT AND MAKE AWARDS TO INDIVIDUALS TO RECEIVE TRAINING UNDER THE AEGIS OF THEIR INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAM.

93.855 - Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [HHS - NIH]

Birmingham, Alabama 352940004 United States

Single Zip Code

Biomedical Knowledgebase (U24 - Clinical Trials Not Allowed) (PAR-20-097)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 05/31/26 to 05/31/27 and the total obligations have increased 354% from $594,000 to $2,695,000.