Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Investigating the Genetic Determinants of Host-Specificity and Potential for Further Adaptation of Powassan Virus

Award Number: F31AI176725
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2026

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Investigating the Genetic Determinants of Host-Specificity and Potential for Further Adaptation of Powassan Virus - PROJECT SUMMARY Powassan virus (family Flaviviridae) is a reemerging tickborne virus endemic in North America and Russia. In 1997, a POWV-like agent was isolated from Ixodes scapularis in New England and determined to be genetically distinct from the original human isolate. This revealed the existence of two lineages: lineage I, POWV (POWV L1) and lineage II, deer tick virus (POWV L2). POWV L1 is maintained between I. cookei and woodchucks and I. marxi and arboreal squirrels, while POWV L2 is maintained in I. scapularis and small mammalian hosts. This distinction suggests an evolutionary progression of either POWV L1 or L2 into unique transmission cycles and subsequent adaption to these new hosts. Tick, mammalian, and human isolates from New York State (NYS) are typically identified as POWV L2, but for the first time in 45 years three POWV L1 isolates were detected including isolations from I. cookei and the first known isolation of POWV L1 from I. scapularis. Additionally, within the same timeframe in NYS, POWV L1 was identified in Dermacentor variabilis and POWV L2 in Amblyomma americanum. With few available isolates, especially POWV L1, little work has been done to elucidate genetic correlates that confer tick host specificity or the role of tick host responses in driving host-specific adaptation. Therefore, the goal of this study is to utilize our emergent POWV isolates to understand genetic correlates of tick host specificity and to investigate the potential for further adaptation to distinct tick hosts. My previous work suggests introduction of POWV L1 into new tick hosts like I. scapularis facilitates viral diversification and emergence of host-driven adaptations in proteins involved in immune evasion and replication. Therefore, I hypothesize introduction of POWV L1 into distinct tick species leads to emergence of tick-specific substitutions that contribute to increased viral fitness. Additionally, I hypothesize these changes will be tick specific with distinct adaptation of POWV occurring dependent on tick species. To test this, I propose to: AIM 1: Investigate the role of tick-driven, emergent substitutions in NS4b on viral fitness using a novel POWV L1 infectious clone AIM 2: perform experimental evolution of POWV in distinct tick species: Ixodes scapularis, Dermacentor variabilis, and Amblyomma americanum to assess changes in viral diversity and describe tick antiviral responses to POWV These studies will help further our understanding of POWV adaptation to novel hosts and host-specific, genetic correlates that influence viral fitness. Additionally, these studies will contribute to the poorly understood tick antiviral responses to POWV infection. Overall, this work may act as a model for tickborne virus spread and establishment in new transmission cycles.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $37,044 )
2025	2025	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	1400 WASHINGTON AVE	ALBANY	NY	12222	ALBANY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	2	7/31/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$564
2025	2025	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	1400 WASHINGTON AVE	ALBANY	NY	12222	ALBANY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	5/1/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$36,480
														Subtotal = $37,044

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $36,411 )
2024	2024	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	1400 WASHINGTON AVE	ALBANY	NY	12222	ALBANY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	1	3/13/2024	NEW	$0
2024	2024	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	1400 WASHINGTON AVE	ALBANY	NY	12222	ALBANY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	3/13/2024	NEW	$35,131
2024	2024	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	1400 WASHINGTON AVE	ALBANY	NY	12222	ALBANY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	002	1	5/7/2024	NEW	$1,280
														Subtotal = $36,411

Grand Total All Awards = $73,455

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Investigating the Genetic Determinants of Host-Specificity and Potential for Further Adaptation of Powassan Virus

Award Number: F31AI176725

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2026

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer