Several University professors are trying to find drugs and vaccines for some of the world's most deadly diseases.

Nine university professors, mostly from science-related departments, have joined the newly created Midwestern Regional Center of Excellence. The goal of the center is to find drugs, therapeutics and vaccines to fight Class A pathogens — small pox, anthrax, tularemia, botulism, and plague, said Olaf Schneewind, M.D., Ph.D., one of two professors who head the center. Schneewind is a professor of molecular genetics and cell biology at the University of Chicago.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) approved funding for the University of Chicago-based center on Sept. 4, a year after NIH sent out a notice to many universities seeking proposals and a team for creating such a research center.

Brenda Wilson, one of the nine professors with the center, said preparations for detailed proposals to present to the NIH began last fall. NIH sent the proposals in January before making the decision earlier this month.

NIH decided to fund eight proposals out of the more than 20 it received, Wilson said. The NIH gave the Midwestern Center $10 million in funding for five years, of which the University receives more than $1 million.

"The money is never enough, but it is a good boost,"said Wilson, who is working with the most potent known cause of food poisoning.

Every year the center has to present its progress to NIH in order for NIH to continue approval of their funding.

Of the 10 regions in the state, the Midwestern center is in region five and is a collaboration of faculty and students from nine universities.

The professors head teams of undergraduates, graduates and post-doctoral students to actively research various projects — from developing devices to detect a virus to finding a vaccine for small pox, said Wilson, a professor of microbiology.

Joanna Shisler, a microbiology professor, works with a virus called vaccinia, which is 95 percent identical to the small pox virus, but less lethal.

"This is a good translation for us," Shisler said. "If we can find a vaccine that works against this, then it will work against small pox."

Shisler, who oversees one technician and three graduate students, said the University's initiative will allow further concentration on how a virus interacts with the host.

"My team wants to figure out what sneaky plans a virus has in hiding out in the immune system," Shisler said.

Shisler said the center not only brings in money for the professors to do the research, but the NIH also pays the University money for expenses such as electricity and water.

Paul Bohn, a chemistry professor, is working alongside Wilson, microbiologist Mengfei Ho, and mechanical and industrial engineering professor Jonathan Sweedler on a project to create devices measured in nanometers, or one-billionth of a meter.

The current devices are not small enough to detect the microscopic viruses, Bohn said.

Wilson said the Midwestern RCE will become a key player in protecting the public next time an emergency such as the 2001 anthrax outbreak hits.

"We can address and respond to immediate dangers, advance the field of medicine and train students to work in this area," she said.

University spokesman Tom Hardy said the center enhances the University's reputation of being the "destination for talented faculty."

As of now, the professors have not uncovered any major information, but Wilson said, "we will have results."

University professors involved in the Midwestern Regional Center of Excellence are: Brenda Wilson, microbiology; Paul Bohn, chemistry; Mengfei Ho, microbiology; Mark Shannon, mechanical and industrial engineering; John Xu, microbiology; Neal Kelleher, chemistry; Peter Yau, director of proteomics at biotechnology center; Joanna Shisler, microbiology; Jonathan Sweedler, chemistry.