SPP-ARC
Striving for Pandemic Preparedness — The Alberta Research Consortium
Striving for Pandemic Preparedness
Enabling rapid responses to emerging pathogens
The University of Alberta has made substantial investments to support research and training in infectious diseases. The available resources have been instrumental in Alberta's scientific response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In spite of progress, it is evident that our preparedness for the next pandemic needs to be improved. The Government of Alberta awarded the University of Alberta a $55.1 M grant to develop a pandemic preparedness program. With this grant, scientists at the University of Alberta are building capacity in this area and founded SPP-ARC: Striving for Pandemic Preparedness – The Alberta Research Consortium.MISSION
Prepare for Pandemics
Establish capabilities to discover, develop and assess vaccines and antivirals for better protection against emerging pathogens
VISION
Enable Rapid Responses
Support clinical trials and the approval of effective medical countermeasures in the next pandemic
A Pipeline Approach
Nobody can predict the time and/or nature of the next pandemic. So what can we do to prepare for the worst? SPP-ARC aims to create a home-grown pipeline for the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs against priority pathogens, such as coronaviruses and influenza viruses. The goal is to establish capabilities that enable rapid responses to emerging threats.Research and Training
Pandemic preparedness requires ongoing, interdisciplinary research efforts and partnerships. SPP-ARC investigators cover a broad range of complementary expertise in the areas of virology, immunology, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry and structural biology. A comprehensive research program from discovery to manufacturing provides an ideal environment for the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP).Enhancing Infrastructure
The establishment of a transformative structural biology core with a state-of-the-art Cryo-Electron Microscopy platform will support the design of vaccines and therapeutics. One of the largest Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) facilities in the country supports preclinical studies, and the Alberta Cell Therapy Manufacturing facility (ACTM) will provide fill-finish production capabilities.SPP-ARC Events
Visit our Events page to hear about our upcoming scientific meetings, seminars, and retreats!
IN THE NEWS
- Researchers devise a quicker, more efficient way to make life-saving molecules
- Recent retreat moves U of A-based pandemic preparedness consortium one step closer to being the first line of defence in the next global outbreak.
- New Canada Excellence Research Chair in Antiviral Drug Design builds on U of A’s leadership in pandemic preparedness research
- Boosting vaccine development in Alberta
- New provincial research funding for U of A aims to create made-in-Alberta vaccine and drug development pipeline
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
- Bunyaviral Cap-Snatching Endonuclease Activity and Inhibition with Baloxavir-like Inhibitors in the Context of Full-Length L Proteins
- Single-molecule assay reveals the impact of composition, RNA duplex, and inhibitors on the binding dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase complex
- Mechanism of Inhibition of the Active Triphosphate Form of 2′-α-Fluoro,2′-β-bromouridine against Yellow Fever Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
- A single amino acid mutation alters multiple neutralization epitopes in the respiratory syncytial virus fusion glycoprotein
- Rapid Generation of Recombinant Poxviruses Using CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing
- A Kinetic Trapping Approach for Facile Access to 3FaxNeu5Ac and a Photo-Cross-Linkable Sialyltransferase Probe
- Vaccination with structurally adapted fungal protein fibrils induces immunity to Parkinson’s disease.