Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded Scripps Research Institute a $552,000 Project Grant on July 16, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to conduct basic immunological research on long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs). The research project, which extends through June 30, 2031, focuses on understanding the mechanisms that govern plasma cell longevity and survival beyond their primary function of antibody production. This research addresses a critical gap in vaccine development, as current vaccination strategies often fail to generate sufficient LLPCs—the cells responsible for providing durable immunity against infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, and yellow fever.

The award funds the development and utilization of innovative investigational tools, specifically a "double fate-mapper" (DFM) mouse model engineered to track plasma cell cohorts over time and identify molecular, cellular, and clonal properties essential to LLPC development. The research integrates high-throughput technologies including single-cell RNA and B cell receptor sequencing, ATAC-seq, and 10X-sequencing to monitor plasma cell evolution and identify key molecules and cellular traits for further mechanistic investigation. This fundamental research is expected to advance scientific understanding of vaccine durability and inform the design of more effective immunization strategies.