Project Grant R24AI201120

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded the University of Georgia Research Foundation $1,023,862 on September 1, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to produce and distribute filarial research reagents through the Filariasis Research Reagent Resource Center (FR3).

The award funds three specific aims over a five-year period ending August 31, 2031. Under Aim 1, the recipient will ensure continued provision of high-quality Brugia malayi and B. pahangi parasites by automating insectary processes and implementing an artificial blood meal system to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve animal welfare. Aim 2 focuses on developing scalable murine models including Sprague-Dawley rats, athymic nude mice, and CB17 SCID mice as more tractable and accessible alternatives to traditional gerbils, accelerating in vivo drug screening and lowering administrative barriers for researchers. Aim 3 will support global elimination efforts for Wuchereria bancrofti by developing and providing standardized quality assurance panels for molecular xenomonitoring and developing a humanized mouse model capable of propagating the complete W. bancrofti life cycle for drug and vaccine development.

Work is performed at Athens, Georgia. The assistance type is a Project Grant, transitioning this long-standing research resource from a contract mechanism to a sustainable grant-funded research resource serving the global scientific community.