# Project 2: Viral entry, antibodies, and structural biology

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2024 · $6,871,666

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY – PROJECT 2: VIRAL ENTRY, ANTIBODIES, AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
Studies of viral glycoproteins and their interactions with receptors and antibodies are paramount to vaccine
design. Project 2 aims to unveil the architecture and entry requirements of the surface glycoproteins of
henipaviruses, mammarenaviruses, and phenuiviruses and provide a deep understanding of antibody
responses against them. We will decipher the principles of humoral immunity against the target viral genera
and obtain monoclonal antibodies isolated from vaccine-elicited memory B cells and computationally designed
to inform immunogen design and support the development of inhibitors of viral entry. We will structurally
characterize the glycoproteins mediating entry of target viruses, in isolation and in complex with neutralizing
antibodies and identified receptors to delineate antigenic maps of viral glycoprotein targets and guide the
design of vaccines eliciting potent and protective immunity in Projects 3, 4 and 5. Finally, we will discover and
functionally validate the entry receptor and protease requirements of divergent pathogens present in each viral
genus selected to inform cell and tissue tropism and support the development of entry/neutralization assays
along with animal challenge models in collaboration with Core D. This highly integrated project will benefit from
the Veesler lab’s world-leading expertise in structural and functional characterization of viral glycoproteins,
immunological and serological evaluation of infection- and vaccine-elicited antibody responses and
structure-based vaccine design and will involve close interactions with Core C (Baker), Core D (Geisbert), Core
E (Bloom), and will generate foundational knowledge that informs vaccine design in Projects 3, 4 and 5 (King &
Stuart).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10861412
- **Project number:** 1U19AI181881-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** David Veesler
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $6,871,666
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-12 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10861412

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10861412, Project 2: Viral entry, antibodies, and structural biology (1U19AI181881-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10861412. Licensed CC0.

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