EID Second Annual Host Seed Grant Event

By Dr. Sid Thakur

The EID Research Program members met and discussed collaborative interdisciplinary ideas on September 28 for the Second Annual EID Seed Grant Competition. Investigators formed teams and came up with exciting proposals after intense discussion. All projects had to involve at least two collaborators and exploration of new, currently unfunded topics. Each team received 3 minutes to make a case which was followed by voting by the members present at the event. This year EID funded two exciting proposals for $10,000 each:

“Effector Mechanisms of Interferon Gamma in the Induction of Tryptophan Starvation of Chlamydia Trachomatis in Porcine Epithelial Cells.” Dr. Rodolphe Barrangou (CALS) and Dr. Tobias Kaeser (CVM)

“Understanding Human-Animal Transmission Cycles for Cutaneous Leishmania in Peru.” Dr. William Pan (Duke), Dr. Charles Nunn (Duke), Dr. Barbara Qurollo (CVM), Dr. Roland Kays (CNR) and Dr. Michael Levy (CVM)