Project Grant DP2AI200977

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded the University of California, San Diego $480,000 on September 16, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to investigate the molecular basis for arboviral fitness in vector and reservoir hosts.

The research examines how arboviruses replicate across evolutionarily distant hosts—insects and vertebrates—despite showing high specificity in their transmission cycles. Using alphaviruses as a model system, the project aims to identify and characterize cell surface receptors that mediate entry into Aedes mosquito cells and to identify viral determinants that drive entry into Aedes cells, particularly for Aedes-transmitted alphaviruses compared to other mosquito-transmitted species. The work will employ insect-specific alphaviruses as a platform to understand the genetic determinants of dual-host range exhibited by pathogenic alphaviruses, focusing on the molecular basis of host specificity and adaptation across the arthropod-vertebrate divide.

Performance occurs in La Jolla, California. The project runs from the award date through August 31, 2031. This is a Project Grant assistance type under the program supporting biomedical research and research training in infectious diseases and related areas at public and private nonprofit institutions.