The contract acquires, produces/expands and distributes to the research community, malaria reagents, including Plasmodium parasites from human, avian and rodent species and strains, DNA clones, expression vectors, and oligonucleotides as well as specimens or DNA from principal malaria vector species, including the Anopheles gambiae complex. It also provides for quality control of reagents; for example, for parasites, sterility, culture viability, gametocyte production, DNA fingerprinting, in vivo infectivity (rodent species) and drug sensitivity (human species). For mosquito vectors it provides for verification of species or strain identity by entomological markers, chromosomal markers and/or PCR markers. It also provides workshops and training in malaria research worldwide.
