The New England Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (NERCE) is a network of research collaborations that supports basic science and translational research for the development of preventive and therapeutic interventions against Priority Pathogens listed by NIAID as emerging and re-emerging infectious disease threats. The Center is a focal point for New England’s research and development in Priority Pathogens, and it seeks to apply recent dramatic advances in genomics, proteomics, structural biology, immunology, vaccinology, chemistry, drug screening, and material sciences to problems of importance in combating these threats. The NERCE effort is directed towards catalyzing collaborative work, creative thinking, and innovative solutions to the myriad challenges posed by infectious diseases.

A NIAID-funded research center, NERCE includes investigator-initiated research programs and state-of-the-art core laboratories and resources that provide critical services for Priority Pathogen research. These services include microbiology and animal model support, high-throughput screening, large-scale biological molecule production, confocal microscopy, and live-cell imaging. NERCE is also registered to provide surge capacity for testing of clinical samples for the CDC-sponsored Laboratory Response Network in the case of a biological emergency.

Any investigator at a private or public institution based within the New England states (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) is eligible for NERCE support. Investigators do not need to be directly funded by NERCE in order to access the NERCE core laboratories and other resources. Please contact us with any inquiries regarding NERCE support.

This organization is recognized as one of the Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (RCEs) by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).