The Membrane Feeding Assay Evaluation Center is located at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research (LMVR). The Center’s focus is on the standard membrane-feeding assay (SMFA).

The SMFA is a complex functional assay that measures the ability of antibodies to block transmission of parasites to mosquitoes. The SMFA is thus a critical tool to support the development of vaccines that are designed to interrupt malaria transmission and support future elimination campaigns.

While the assay is hindered by inherent inter-assay variability, LMVR has put extensive effort into qualifying their assay. In addition, the statistical model for analyzing the data, developed as part of the qualification, is now applied to the studies performed at the center.