The purpose of this NOSI is to highlight interest in supporting supplemental funding applications for award recipients currently funded by participating NIH Institutes and Centers to prepare data assets relevant for infectious- and immune-mediated disease research for inclusion in the NIAID Data Ecosystem. Research may include studies that strive to generate a better understanding of mechanisms for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious- and immune mediated diseases.

Through research, health experts have learned that there are more than 120 different strains of group A streptococci bacteria, each producing its own unique proteins. Some of these proteins are responsible for specific GAS diseases. With the support of NIAID, scientists have determined the genetic sequence, or DNA code, for five strains of the group A streptococcus bacterium. By studying its genes, scientists can learn which proteins are responsible for virulence—crucial information that will lead to new and improved drugs and vaccines.