WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the National Institute of General Medical Sciences has awarded $337,100 to support influenza research at the University of Maine. The grant will aid scientists in their study of influenza and the host cells it inhabits to learn how to best manipulate the virus for remedial treatment.

“The flu’s pervasive and contagious nature makes it a top priority for medical researchers year in and year out,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “This research is particularly important for states like Maine with large elderly populations that are more susceptible to the flu. Thankfully, scientists at the University of Maine are hard at work to understand the best solutions for combatting this serious illness and the grant funding will support them in that important effort.”

The project is titled Mechanism of Association between Influenza Hemagglutinin and the Host Cell Actin Cytoskeleton. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences is one of the 27 institutes that combine to form the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

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