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Objectives

The broad objectives of the MARCE include:

  • Developing new diagnostics, vaccines, and innovative vaccine delivery methods amenable to rapid mass vaccination of civilian populations.

  • Establishing an interactive consortium among academic institutions, government facilities and industry to carry out multi-disciplinary basic and clinical research on biodefense and emerging infectious diseases.

  • Assisting the NIAID in addressing its Biodefense Research Agenda.

Specific objectives of the MARCE include:

  • Administering vaccines (mucosal, transcutaneous and needle-free injection), monoclonal antibodies and other modalities to confer passive protection, and diagnostic tools relevant to pathogens that constitute biodefense and emerging infectious threats.

  • Providing facilities (e.g., Biosafety level–3 units), scientific support and other focused assistance to first-line responders in the event of a local, regional or national biodefense emergency.

  • Motivating scientists at all levels from various relevant disciplines (e.g., microbiology, clinical infectious diseases, disease epidemiology, vaccinology, molecular genetics, immunology, biochemistry, bioinformatics) to enter the broad field of biodefense and emerging infectious diseases research, including training to conduct research within BSL-3 facilities and to develop health-care products.

  • Developing, maintaining, adapting and expanding comprehensive core facilities to support research and training activities of the MARCE consortium, as well as approved investigators from academia, biotechnology companies, the pharmaceutical industry, and other relevant entities for the purpose of performing basic research and for testing and evaluating diagnostics, vaccines, passive protectants and therapeutics for Category A-C agents.

  • Enabling RCE investigators with technical expertise on various Category A and emerging infectious agents through training to interact effectively with the press and mass media as spokepersons in the case of outbreaks, thereby assisting local and state public health authorities.