Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded $899,850 to the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) on February 20, 2026, for a project extending through January 31, 2031. This Project Grant supports biomedical research investigating how apicomplexan parasites recognize and invade host cells—a critical mechanism for understanding parasitic infections that depend on intracellular replication. The research deliverables include scientific investigations into the molecular mechanisms of host-cell recognition, specifically examining how conserved protein complexes (CLAMP and CRMP) and host N-glycosylation pathways mediate rhoptry discharge, which is essential to parasite invasion.

The funded research will produce three primary categories of scientific outputs: (1) characterization of glycan specificity of parasite protein complexes through glycan array analysis; (2) detailed imaging-based analysis of invasion stages and identification of defects in rhoptry discharge mechanisms; and (3) identification of signaling events triggered by host-cell recognition through phosphoproteomics and proximity-labeling studies. These research products will advance fundamental knowledge of apicomplexan parasite biology and may inform the development of therapeutic interventions targeting parasitic infection mechanisms, contributing to NIAID's mission of addressing infectious disease challenges.