SunFire Biotechnologies LLC was awarded a grant by the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a multiplexed serum bactericidal assay (mSBA) to support the development of Shigella vaccines.
The Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant is approximately $230,000 over 6 months for SunFire to develop a 2-fold mSBA.
Shigella is a gastrointestinal infection, causing diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Shigella outbreaks occur primarily in developing countries, and the Department of Defense is funding this research because members of the military often contract such infections while deployed abroad.