Gates Foundation Funds 78 New Innovative Global Health Projects Including
Cell Phone Blood Tests, Carnivorous Plants and Sweat-Triggered Vaccines

- Grants From 18 Countries Poised to Help Prevent and Diagnose Infectious Disease and Promote Family Health

LONDON, May 10 /CNW/ - The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced 78 grants of US$100,000 each in the latest round of Grand Challenges Explorations. Grants include the development of a low-cost cell phone microscope to diagnose malaria, study of the strategic placement of insect-eating plants to reduce insect-borne diseases, and investigation of nanoparticles to release vaccines when they come in contact with human sweat. The grants support research across 18 countries and six continents.

"Grand Challenges Explorations continues to generate unique and creative ways to tackle global health issues," said Dr. Tachi Yamada, president of the Gates Foundation's Global Health Program. "We are convinced that some of these ideas will lead to new innovations and eventually solutions that will save lives."

This year's European grantees are based at universities, research institutes and non-profit organizations. The winners represent groups in Germany, Sweden, Norway and the UK.

Some examples of the breadth of projects funded this round include:

More effective vaccines:

    
    -   Sweat-triggered vaccine delivery: Carlos Alberto Guzman of the
        Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Germany with Claus-Michael
        Lehr and Steffi Hansen of the Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical
        Research will develop nanoparticles that penetrate the skin through
        hair follicles and burst upon contact with human sweat to release
        vaccines.

    -   A "seek-and-destroy" laser vaccine: Owain Millington and Gail
        McConnell of University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom will use
        existing imaging systems to identify and destroy Leishmania parasites
        with a targeted laser.

    -   Treating worm infections to improve vaccine effectiveness: Susanne
        Nylen Spoormaker of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden will research
        whether treating patients for worm infections prior to vaccinations
        can improve the ability of the immune system to respond effectively
        to vaccines.
    

New strategies to fight malaria:

    
    -   Insecticide-treated traditional scarves: David Sintasath of the
        Malaria Consortium in Thailand will research whether treating
        traditional scarves worn by migrant workers along the Thai-Cambodia
        border with insecticides will reduce the rate of drug-resistant
        malaria.

    -   Using carnivorous plants to control mosquitoes: Jasper Ogwal-Okeng of
        Makerere University in Uganda will test whether insect-eating plants
        can reduce the population of malaria transmitting mosquitoes and
        their larvae.

    -   Cell phone microscope to diagnose malaria: Aydogan Ozcan of the
        University of California, Los Angeles in the U.S. will test a low-
        cost, compact cell phone microscope to diagnose malaria in field
        settings. Solutions to promote family health:

    -   Ultrasound as a reversible male contraceptive: James Tsuruta and Paul
        Dayton of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in the U.S.
        will study the ability of ultrasound to temporarily deplete
        testicular sperm counts for possible use as new contraceptive method
        for men.

    -   Vitamin A probiotics to combat diarrhea: Douglas Watson and
        colleagues of SRI International in the U.S. will develop probiotic
        bacteria that produce Vitamin A to stimulate a healthy
        gastrointestinal tract in children and reduce diarrheal diseases, the
        second-leading cause of childhood death.
    

Grand Challenges Explorations is a five-year, $100 million initiative to promote innovation in global health. It is part of the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative which is supported by the Gates Foundation to achieve major breakthroughs in global health.

Applications for the next round of Grand Challenges Explorations are being accepted through May 19, 2010. Topics for Round 5 are:

    
    -   Create Low-Cost Cell Phone-Based Applications for Priority Global
        Health Conditions

    -   Create New Technologies to Improve the Health of Mothers and Newborns

    -   Create New Ways to Protect Against Infectious Disease

    -   Create New Technologies for Contraception
    

Grant application instructions, including the list of topic areas in which proposals are currently being accepted, are available at the Grand Challenges Explorations website: http://www.grandchallenges.org.

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people - especially those with the fewest resources - have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Learn more at http://www.gatesfoundation.org.

For high-resolution still photography and information about the foundation's work, please visit: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/press-room/Pages/news-market.aspx.

Notes to Editors

This marks the fourth round of grants awarded by the Gates Foundation's Grand Challenges Explorations program. Including those announced today, grants have been awarded to 340 researchers from 31 countries.

Grantees from Round 4 were selected from almost 2,700 proposals. All levels of scientists are represented - from young post-graduate investigators to veteran researchers - as are a wide range of disciplines, such as chemistry, bioengineering, electronics, mechanical engineering, infectious disease, and epidemiology.

The grant program is open to anyone from any discipline, from student to tenured professor, and from any organization - colleges and universities, government laboratories, research institutions, non-profit organizations and for-profit companies. For additional information, please visit http://www.grandchallenges.org.

For further information: London Contact: Matti Ojanen, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Seattle Contact: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]