Federal Project Grant Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded Scripps Research Institute a Project Grant of $897,277 on June 25, 2026, to conduct research addressing critical knowledge gaps in monkeypox virus (MPXV) entry mechanisms and antibody-mediated neutralization. Over the five-year funding period through May 31, 2031, Scripps will deliver integrated research services combining diverse antibody sources—including those from mpox convalescents, vaccinees, and a human antibody phage library—with advanced antibody isolation strategies, functional assays, and high-throughput structural biology. The research aims to identify primary targets of neutralizing and protective antibodies against MPXV, define structural bases of viral attachment to human cells, and optimize therapeutic antibody combinations for improved therapeutic options.

The grant supports three primary research objectives: uncovering new protective epitopes underrepresented in current vaccines; resolving structural interactions between viral attachment proteins and host cell receptors as targets for protective antibodies; and defining and optimizing therapeutic antibody combinations against MPXV. These research deliverables directly address gaps between current vaccine efficacy and the enhanced immune responses observed in naturally infected convalescent individuals, with applications toward developing improved vaccines and therapeutic interventions for mpox disease.