Federal Grant Award Summary

The Scripps Research Institute received a $511,531 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded February 13, 2026, with completion targeted for January 31, 2031. The grant supports the development and characterization of HIV envelope (Env) glycoprotein vaccine candidates utilizing a lipid nanodisc platform technology. The project focuses on incorporating engineered transmembrane Env vaccine candidates into stable lipid nanodiscs using membrane scaffold proteins to enable scalable, reproducible biophysical and structural analysis of membrane-proximal external region (MPER)-targeted immunogens—a critical approach given that broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting MPER demonstrate near-complete coverage of circulating HIV strains.

The primary deliverable under this award is the creation of Env nanodiscs that allow researchers to evaluate transmembrane Env constructs under standardized conditions comparable to established soluble Env vaccine development methodologies. This technical solution addresses historical challenges in handling recombinant transmembrane Env proteins and enables both in vitro optimization of engineered immunogen candidates and evaluation of in vivo immune responses from MPER-targeted immunizations. The research builds on recent clinical trial progress, including the HVTN133 trial, which demonstrated that MPER peptide-based liposome formulations induced broadly neutralizing antibody lineages and achieved 15% neutralization breadth against a global HIV panel.