Integrated strategy for the study of infectious agents causing emerging and/or neglected diseases transmitted by vectors of global impact

Abstract

This new Pasteur/USP partnership is particularly focused on vector-borne emergent and neglected diseases that may cause very complex immune responses and serious anomalies and/or disturbances in the nervous system, consequently impacting animal and public health. These partners will join their forces in a new Scientific Platform, in the recent "Innovation Center InovaUSP", in spaces strategically designed to implement a novel model for performing scientific research in proximity to the academy. The technological objective of this Platform is to strengthen the development of joint initiatives with a high degree of infrastructures and state-of-the-art equipment, sharing expertise, technologies and know-how, in view of joint and innovative discoveries of products and processes. This project is structured around complementary research programs of 3 groups of researchers from the two institutions that, in concert through this task force, intend to strengthen their scientific ties by answering questions of medical and veterinary interest in this unique strategic environment. The project aims to achieve the following main scientific objectives: (i) generate luminous and fluorescent microorganisms to allow the real-time and detailed analysis of the interaction of these microorganisms with their hosts; (ii) to decipher immune, inflammatory and pathogenetic mechanisms triggered by these infectious agents, notably in the brain; (iii) build a database from the integration of results generated by Omics, Molecular biology and Immunology and; (iv) identify new targets for the development of preventive, diagnostic/prognostic and therapeutic methods. (AU)