MRC CIC successful applications Round 4 - 2026

Scott Jones

UKHSA

Ashley Otter, UKHSA. Alex Richter, Sian Faustini, Jennifer Heaney, University of Birmingham. Jake Dunning, University of Oxford

Prototype to candidate-ready antibody LFD for Mpox diagnostics and surveillance

With the ongoing outbreaks of Mpox virus (MPXV) in endemic and non-endemic countries, there is a necessity for better diagnostics, surveillance and targeted vaccination. We have developed two prototype anti-MPXV lateral flow devices (LFDs), able to identify and distinguish between MPXV infected and vaccinated individuals. Both were found to be significant improvements on current commercially available MPXV LFDs. This proposal is to take these prototypes and produce a candidate-ready LFD, combining both tests into one device and validating for use as a diagnostic tool, and to conduct serosurveillance and target at-risk individuals for vaccination.

£56,446.08

Chris Jones

LSTM

Mikkel Brydegaard, David Dreyer, Lund University. Jolyon Medlock, UKHSA

Enhanced Mosquito Surveillance using Lidar

Mosquito surveillance forms a crucial component of vector control but is reliant on traditional entomological methods that are costly, laborious, and inefficient. Emerging remote sensing technologies will revolutionise how we survey insects in their natural environment offering substantial cost and data benefits. This IAA award will accelerate the development of a new automated entomological lidar for mosquito surveillance which we will trial at LSTM and at a nearby field site. The project will be a springboard for advancing lidar as a mosquito surveillance tool both in the UK and with our partners across the world.

£39,825.60

Nicholas Casewell

LSTM

Stuart Ainsworth, University of Liverpool

Validation of a new pharmacokinetically appropriate preclinical model of envenoming to enable informative dose predictions of new snakebite drugs

Snakebite is a medical emergency causing ~100,000 deaths/year. Small molecule inhibitory drugs are currently in clinical trials, but accurate dosing predictions of their optimal therapeutic regimens remains challenging. Current preclinical models do not accurately reflect the pharmacokinetics of envenoming, thereby presenting a considerable barrier to informative PK/PD predictions. In this enabling study we will validate a previously developed microdosing envenoming model to accurately reflect human systemic and local envenoming pharmacokinetics and use it to evaluate and optimise the oral efficacy of two snakebite drugs to enable future pharmacodynamic modelling and oral dosing regimen predictions as a prerequisite for clinical evaluation.

£46,710.72

Sophie Owen

LSTM

Hassan Zakiul University of Oxford, icddr,b. Emily Adams, University of Oxford. Simon Graham, Jack Hayes, The Pirbright Institute

Development and evaluation of serological testing for Nipah virus infection

Nipah virus (NiV) infection can present as fatal encephalitis with a high case fatality rate (40-75%). NiV is a WHO and CEPI priority pathogen. Current diagnostics for NiV infection are primarily molecular and immunoassays that require laboratory infrastructure. There remains a critical unmet need for point-of-care assays to detect NiV infection, highlighted by the WHO R&D roadmap. This project seeks to establish whether a serological lateral flow immunoassay could be used for presumptive diagnosis of NiV infection and to assess reagents for their suitability for incorporation into a lateral flow immunoassay to detect a serological response to NiV in humans.

£47,808.00

Andre Furger

Oxford

Lloyd King, Kirsty McHugh, Barnabas Williams, Oxford University

Engineering mRNA Poly(A) Tails to Improve Potency and Reduce Dose Requirements in Malaria Vaccines

The success of mRNA-based vaccines in eliciting effective immune responses against coronaviruses has demonstrated the transformative potential of mRNA-based delivery platforms. Over the past three years, Prof. A. Furger’s team at Oxford has developed a proprietary and highly versatile mRNA platform optimized for high translational output. In collaboration with Dr. King, Dr. McHugh and Dr. Williams of the Draper group, leading researchers in blood-stage malaria vaccine development, this project will evaluate mRNA-encoded RH5.1 and R78C vaccine candidates against Plasmodium falciparum. By investigating how poly(A)-tail length influences antigen expression and immune potency, the study will provide proof-of-concept that the Furger group’s proprietary mRNA platform can enable lower-dose, more cost-effective vaccines, advancing the development of affordable and scalable malaria vaccines strategies for endemic regions.

£37,972.80

Ellie Barnes

Oxford

Gerardo Montalvo Zurbia-Flores , CIO, Nuffield Department of Experimental Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK. Justin Bailey, Andrea Cox, John’s Hopkins Hospital, Department of Medicine, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.

Immunogen Combination and Stabilisation for pan-genotypic HCV Vaccines (The HCV-COSMIC project)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes millions of deaths from liver failure and cancer annually, particularly in low/ middle income countries where treatment access is limited and reinfection common. This project develops new mRNA-based vaccines designed to prevent HCV infection and support the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating the disease by 2030. We seek to develop new “stabilised”, highly antigenic, HCV envelope glycoproteins to stimulate strong and broad immune protection against multiple HCV strains. The findings will provide essential preclinical evidence to advance vaccine candidates toward clinical testing, strengthening global efforts to combat viral hepatitis and improve health equity worldwide.

£46,740.48

Steve Ward

LSTM

Paul O’Neill, David Hong and Andrew Owen, University of Liverpool

Lead Discovery of beta-Hydroxyethylamine-Based Plasmepsin Inhibitors as Long-acting Injectables (LAI) for Malaria Chemoprevention

The project seeks to develop long-acting injectable (LAI) plasmepsin IX/X inhibitors for season-long malaria chemoprotection. Building on the potent oral lead compound AC-2-77—which demonstrates exceptional antimalarial activity, selectivity, and chemovaccination potential—the team will re-optimize this compound series to achieve reduced aqueous solubility, high potency, and enhanced metabolic stability for sustained drug release. Two complementary strategies will be pursued: (1) modifying the P1 region to produce low-solubility analogues such as AMPC110–114, and (2) tuning the P3 region, as exemplified by AMPT188, to balance solubility with potency. Pharmacokinetic, hERG, and IVIVE studies will be used to de-risk frontrunners, with two early leads expected to be selected by 2026 for full optimisation and advancement toward preclinical development in 2027.

£37,967.04

Susana Campino

LSHTM

Kevin Maringer , Pirbright Institute. Mary Cameron, Nina Billows and Taane Clark, LSHTM.

Pan-Arbovirus Molecular Xenomonitoring: Developing Field-Deployable Assays for Scalable Arboviral Surveillance.

Effective surveillance of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) is critical for early detection, outbreak prevention, and protecting public and animal health. As vectors expand and new pathogens emerge, there is a growing need for field-ready tools to monitor infection in vectors, which can be used as proxy for human/animal infections. We have developed and field-validated lateral-flow isothermal assays targeting DNA pathogens (malaria, leishmania, babesia) and RNA viruses (dengue, Zika). However, RNA assays cost approximately twice as much as DNA-based assays, limiting scalability. We propose to develop broad Pan-arbovirus assays for high-throughput screening, reserving pathogen-specific confirmation for positive samples, reducing costs, and enabling scalable, and sustainable VBD surveillance of both re-emerging and emerging arboviruses.

£47,981.05

Michail Smyrnakis

STFC

Richard Goodman, Adam Roberts, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Nandini Gadhia, STFC Hartree Centre

Applying AI to AMR diagnostics: Using machine learning to predict antimicrobial resistance from genomic data

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to human health. Novel approaches are urgently needed, as current diagnostics are slow and labour intensive. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and metagenomic sequencing provide promising alternatives to the current diagnostic pathway. However, difficult challenges in data analysis limit the use of genomic data for clinical decision-making. In this project we will build proof-of-concept machine learning models for single pathogen-drug combinations, specifically carbapenem resistant Enterobacterales, providing an AI approach that is faster and less laborious than current diagnostics. Ultimately, improved AMR diagnostics will save lives, reduce hospital stays, and preserve our last-line antibiotics.

£47,997.12

Georgina Limon-Vega

Pirbright

Sandra Belij-Rammerstorfer Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, UK. Simona Tchakarova Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA), Bulgaria Teresa Lambe Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, UK. Marion England, Simon Gubbins, Bryan Charleston The Pirbright Institute, UK.

Characterising maternal antibody transfer and decay in lambs to guide Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) vaccine and diagnostic development

CCHFV is a WHO priority pathogen that circulates silently in livestock and can cause severe disease in humans. There are currently no licensed vaccines and the immune mechanisms that control infection remain undefined. This project will establish ewe-lamb cohort in a CCHFV-endemic region of Bulgaria to quantify maternal antibody transfer and decay for key viral antigens (Gc, NP, GP38). By linking maternal polyclonal antibody profile to natural exposure, we will explore how these profiles may influence the timing of CCHFV infection in lambs. The results will refine interpretation of CCHFV serology, improve surveillance and guide rational vaccine design.

£45,856.32

Ahmed Salman

Oxford

Adrian Hill, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford.. Blandine Franke-Fayard, Collaborating Co-investigators. Assistant Professor, Head of molecular malaria vaccine research at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, Netherlands

Generation and assessment of Hybrid Multi-antigens Nanoparticle Vaccines for P. vivax Malaria using Self-assembling Virus-Like Particle (VLP) Technologies

Subunit protein-based vaccines-in-adjuvant such as RTS,S and R21 for P. falciparum (Pf) and Rv21 for P. vivax (Pv) have proven their ability to induces high level efficacy mediated by antibodies but a single vaccine protecting against both vivax and falciparum malaria would be an important advance. Here, we will build on our experience of using virus-like particles (VLPs) with adjuvant to construct different versions of a hybrid VLP vaccine expressing both PvCSP sequences in addition to PvPLP1 (perforin-like protein 1) as a single vaccine for both species which should be useful in many countries and travellers. Vaccine safety, immunogenicity and efficacy will be assessed in vivo using a well-established challenge model employing sporozoite of two transgenic P. berghei parasites expressing PvCSP and PvPLP1 antigens. HBsAg-fused VLP based vaccines have excellent ability to induce safely both innate and adaptive immune responses and allow low cost very large scale GMP manufacturing.

£45,039.27

Naomi Walker

LSTM

Daire Cantillon and Giancarlo Biagini, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Developing Cysteamine (NM001) for tuberculosis: A host directed therapeutic with antibiotic potentiation activity.

NM001 (oral cysteamine bitartrate) is an investigational medicine for inflammatory-infectious exacerbations in lung disease, including cystic fibrosis (CF). It reduces inflammatory blood biomarkers and improves patient outcomes in people with CF. In addition, it potentiates antibiotics against CF related pathogens in vitro and in mouse models. Despite its dual action of immune modulation and potentiating antibiotics in respiratory indications, it has not been investigated for therapeutic use in TB. We have identified TB clinically relevant host pathways targeted by NM001 and demonstrated rifampicin potentiation in vitro against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We will define host directed anti-TB activity, immune network modulation and antibiotic potentiation using a macrophage model of TB. These data will form the basis of developing NM001 as a treatment adjunct for TB.

£48,000.00