Chalk another one up for the Medical Center. In addition to announcing a partnership with genetics pioneer Craig Venter over the summer, the DUMC recently received a $45 million grant from the government to research vaccines for emerging infectious diseases and biodefense. The grant, by far one of the largest ever received at Duke, will place DUMC researchers at the forefront of a project at the cutting edge of medicine and national security.
The only caveat associated with the grant is that the $45 million will be divided among five other regional universities, forming the Southeast Regional Center of Excellence for Emerging Infections and Biodefense. The researchers from SERCEB will communicate and share ideas and breakthroughs via e-mail, conferences and other mediums, coordinated largely by the director of Duke's Human Vaccine Institute, Dr. Barton Haynes. The decentralized nature of the SERCEB is cited by some as an asset, as it will allow multiple people to bring their varied experiences, methodologies, successes and failures to the table, increasing the chance of producing meaningful results. However, this multiparty setup could also prove debilitating unless communication between the varied sites is consistent.
While the grant and the research it will fund is undoubtedly exciting, the community should not expect huge advancements right away. A vaccine usually takes many years to develop, and progress will likely proceed slowly and incrementally. If progress is made, DUMC can look forward to more grants in the future.
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