Federal Grant Award Summary

Tufts University School of Medicine received a $531,688 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) for the period June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2028. The grant supports the development of a next-generation pan-serotype antitoxin for botulinum neurotoxin exposures. The research employs heteromultimeric linked antitoxin camelid single-domain antibodies (VHHs or nanobodies), formulated as RNA products, to create therapeutics that address limitations of existing polyclonal antisera-based treatments. The proposed approach aims to enable distributed stockpiling and reduce time-to-treatment delays while maintaining or exceeding the efficacy of conventional antitoxin products.

The R61 phase of this R61/R33 award will utilize robust computational methods to design and validate VNA (neutralizing agent) products capable of providing potent protection against multiple botulism serotypes simultaneously. The deliverables include formulated RNA/VNA antitoxin products that can be rapidly and economically manufactured at scale while addressing critical gaps in the current medical countermeasures available for both foodborne botulism poisoning and potential biodefense threats. The work is being conducted at Tufts' North Grafton, Massachusetts facility.