Fraunhofer USA's Center for Molecular Biotechnology Receives Grant
from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Trypanosomiasis Research

Fraunhofer USA's Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB), a non-
profit research organization based in Newark, Delaware, has received
a $1.2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for
pre-clinical studies towards the development of a vaccine against
African trypanosomiasis.

The disease, known in cattle as Nagana and in humans as Sleeping
Sickness, is spread by the bite of the tsetse fly and is fatal if
left untreated. It occurs in 36 countries of sub-Saharan Africa. It
is reaching epidemic proportions and is having a devastating impact
on local economies there.

CMB will apply its newly developed suite of technologies to
engineer, produce and evaluate candidate vaccines to combat this
disease. This project is a collaborative effort between CMB, the
Institute of Parasitology at McGill University in Canada, and
Makerere University in Uganda.

The new plant-based technology developed at CMB has the potential to
provide safe, effective and affordable vaccines against a variety of
pathogens.

"Our plant-based approach is highly time-efficient and ensures
economic production of vaccines," said Vidadi Yusibov, Executive
Director of CMB.

"An affordable vaccine against trypanosomiasis could prevent tens of
thousands of deaths each year," said Dr. Douglas Holtzman, senior
program officer for the Infectious Diseases Program of the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation. "We're pleased that the Fraunhofer USA
Center for Molecular Biotechnology is applying its unique expertise
to this critical research."

About Fraunhofer USA CMB

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB) is a non-
profit research organization that is part of Fraunhofer USA, Inc., a
Rhode Island incorporated, with Headquarters in Plymouth, MI. CMB is
located at the Delaware Technology Park in Newark, Delaware, and is
a unique institution conducting research in the area of plant
biotechnology, utilizing newly developed/developing cutting edge
technologies to assist the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of
human and animal diseases.

Web site: http://www.fraunhofer-cmb.org

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Source: Fraunhofer USA CMB

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