Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Florida a $741,023 Project Grant, effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The grant funds development of VIGOR (Vibrio Infection Genomics for Outbreak Risk Forecasting), a satellite-based public health forecasting system designed to identify and monitor high-risk zones for pathogenic Vibrio species proliferation in coastal waters. The research will integrate biweekly field sampling, high-throughput genomic sequencing, satellite remote sensing, and machine learning-based pathogen modeling to detect and characterize pathogenic Vibrio bacteria in coastal microbiomes and determine the impact of severe weather events and geophysical parameters on their prevalence and diversity.

The primary deliverables include: (1) genomic characterization of pathogenic Vibrio species using molecular and sequencing tools; (2) validated ecological niche models employing MaxEnt architecture to forecast seasonal and spatial hotspots of Vibrio risk; and (3) a real-time public health information dissemination platform that overlays environmental, microbial, demographic, and infrastructural vulnerability data for early detection and targeted public health interventions. This research addresses the growing threat of Vibrio-associated infections in coastal regions, with particular relevance to Florida's high incidence of vibriosis linked to hurricanes and harmful algal blooms, and aims to reduce the burden of waterborne infections through predictive epidemiological forecasting.