The Liverpool Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases Research (CEIDR) has awarded £300,000 to support seven new collaborative translational projects from its Translational Pump Priming (CEIDR TPP) fund.
In March this year, CEIDR launched the TPP scheme to support collaborative research in the field of infectious diseases from the University of Liverpool (UoL), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and/or clinical partners from the Liverpool City region (LCR). Projects were sought that have a clear potential for commercial use, to address unmet market needs.
CEIDR TPP awards are stimulating or enhancing new collaborations in the field of infectious diseases, pump priming research to develop pilot data to support future funding. Consortia are led by LSTM or UoL, include co-applicants from different institutions in the LCR and commercial partners.
CEIDR focuses on translational partnering in infectious diseases to address current and future health priorities. CEIDR networks proactively with external organisations to help them make connections, source expertise and resources through partnerships in infectious diseases with LSTM and UoL.
CEIDR’s core activities are building relationships with industry and academic organisations to advance drugs, vaccines and diagnostics towards market.
The selection of the awards was through an internal, peer-reviewed competition, which resulted in seven projects being funded.
Awards are made to consortia led by: Professor Giancarlo Biagini (LSTM), Professor Enitan Carrol (UoL), Dr Andrea Collins (LSTM), Dr Shampa Das (UoL), Dr Mark Paine (LSTM), Professor Richard Pleass (LSTM) and Dr Joseph Turner (LSTM).
Individually the award winning projects aim to:
• Develop new compounds for the treatment of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis
• Rapidly detect sepsis pathogens direct from blood
• Use exhaled breath testing to improve the diagnosis of respiratory tract infections
• Establish experimental models for development of therapeutics targeting Gonorrhoea
• Develop smart molecules for tracking insecticides from surface to target
• Use ‘Click-chemistry’ to design new antibodies to be used to directly block virus infection
• Develop potential new heartworm drugs targeting bacteria
More details of the projects can be found here.
CEIDR will be celebrating these awards at an event in Liverpool in November 2019.
Dr Fiona Marston, Director of CEIDR, said: “I am extremely pleased to be making these first CEIDR TPP awards that were the result of a competition which attracted a high quality set of applications illustrating the translational focus of research scientists in LSTM, UoL and the LCR NHS Trusts.”
Professor David Lalloo, Director, LSTM, said: “I am delighted that the scheme has allowed us to support a number of cutting edge projects that have a real potential to deliver important new drugs and diagnostics.”
Professor Louise Kenny, Executive Pro-Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, UoL, said: “This scheme underpins our collective determination, working together to make further advances in the field of infectious diseases. This is an area of significant research strength in our city of Liverpool and I am delighted with the quality of the science in the projects selected for funding.”
For further information email tpp@ceidr.org.uk