The Wellcome Trust's Major Overseas Programme in Vietnam, led by Professor Jeremy Farrar, has been at the forefront of efforts to understand the impact of H5N1 avian flu in people. A new award of £385 000 to Dr Cameron Simmons in Vietnam will support a collaboration with groups in Switzerland and the USA, which aims to investigate whether monoclonal antibodies derived from people who survived H5N1 infection (including Hn, the girl pictured above) can provide protection against this strain of virus.

This grant was 'fast-tracked' through the grant appraisal process, in recognition of the great threat posed by H5N1 influenza.

Support is also being provided for an influenza virus genome-sequencing pipeline. The pipeline, a collaboration between the Medical Research Council's National Institute for Medical Research, the University of Cambridge, the Health Protection Agency, the Veterinary Laboratory Agency and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, will allow researchers to track viruses affecting animal and human populations.

The sequence data will provide valuable information about the spread of different strains of virus and identify strains that need to be targeted by vaccination.

Image: H5N1 survivors; Chan Doan

See also

• Funding: Fast tracking influenza research proposals (News, 23 January 2006)