This article has been updated from a previous version to include additional information from Phase Genomics about its project.
NEW YORK – The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in January awarded nearly 70 new grants, several of which are related to omics and diagnostic projects. Following is a selection of notable grants:
- Phase Genomics of Seattle was awarded approximately $1.5 million over 12 months for a project titled "To identify novel lysin candidates that target microbes and prevent infection of diseases that disproportionately impact LMICs." In a statement, Phase Genomics noted that this project will rely on its global phage atlas to develop antimicrobial agents that bypass resistance against Campylobacter infections and methanogenic archaea in ruminants that drive global methane emissions. The platform builds on Phase's bacteriophage discovery engine, a comprehensive collection of phage-microbe interactions containing hundreds of thousands of new host-resolved phage genomes, the company added.
- The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was awarded $399,272 over 15 months for a project titled "To coordinate and support analyses on the transmission of Klebsiella pneumoniae and other pathogens in NICUs in Africa and Asia."
- Spotlab of Madrid was awarded $186,846 over nine months for a project titled "To cost-effectively visualize filariae in vivo and noninvasively for the diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis benefiting LMICs affected by tropical disease."
- The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, was awarded $120,767 over 12 months for a project titled "To whole-genome sequence invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates from neonates hospitalized in Benin."