The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $1 million EDGE grant to develop engineered Adeno-Associated Viruses (AAVs) for amphibians, primarily Xenopus frogs and Pleurodeles newts. The project uses high-throughput screening to identify AAVs capable of targeting amphibian tissues to understand the resilience of amphibians to environmental stressors and their regenerative abilities. With cutting-edge techniques like CRISPR-based gene editing and transgenic models, the aim of the study is in regards to the species' brain function, nervous system regeneration, and immune responses. The project emphasizes an open science by sharing viral vectors and results through public platforms and international collaborations.
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2110086&HistoricalAwards=false