Team gets bioterrorism research work

Social and Scientific Systems Inc. won an $8.7 million contract with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to serve as an administrative resource for the Biodefense Proteomic Research Centers, the company announced this week.

The Silver Spring, Md., company is teaming on the project with the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and Georgetown University. The companies will assist NIAID in its goal to improve national defense against bioterrorism and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

The team will provide support to four recently awarded and several pending NIAID-funded Proteomics Research Centers by developing and maintaining a publicly accessible Web site that will contain data and technology protocols generated by each site. Proteomics is the study of proteins.

The team also will assist in establishing a scientific advisory committee comprising proteomics and bioinformatics expertise to advise NIAID. The team will promote awareness throughout the scientific community to the proteomic research program, the resources available through the program's Web site and the availability of proteomic data and resources.