Cutting-Edge Research for Global Health
At Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL), microbiologists, virologists, and other scientists focus on the increasing incidence of emerging infectious diseases. Many of these pathogens pose the threat of causing large scale epidemics or global pandemics. The goal of the NEIDL is to predict their appearance, detect, study, and respond to them in a timely manner. Because of the NEIDL’s extraordinary biocontainment capabilities, researchers have been able to work safely with a variety of live pathogens including COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, Ebola/Marburg, Zika, Yellow Fever, among others. Understanding basic molecular aspects of a pathogen, the interplay of the pathogen with its host, transmission dynamics, and clinical manifestations are all essential for the development of better diagnostics and safe, effective therapeutics and vaccines for us to treat, or even better, be able to prevent these diseases.
In the News
-
A New Type of RNA Could Revolutionize Vaccines and Cancer Treatments
An accidental discovery turned into an unexpected success, when a team of interdisciplinary BU researchers created a new and improved COVID vaccine.
-
After 30 years of decline, tuberculosis is rising in the U.S. again. How did we get here?
After declining for three decades, tuberculosis (TB) rates in the U.S. have been increasing steadily since 2020.
-
Modified Self-Amplifying RNA Provides Opportunities For New Vaccines And Treatments
A paper published on July 8, 2024 in the journal Nature Biotechnology presents promising data that offers a foundation for developing future vaccines and treatments.