A Vaccine that Works against any COVID Variant - Eric Wang

Year
2023
Tags
COVID-19
variants
vaccine design
spike protein
receptor binding domain
conserved epitope
nanoparticle vaccine
antibodies
computational immunology
machine learning
antibody development
broad-spectrum immunity
global health
infectious disease
immunology
pandemic preparedness
MIT
Summary

Variants weaken current COVID vaccines because they target parts of the spike protein that mutate. This project uses nanoparticles displaying engineered versions of the conserved RBD region to steer the immune system toward making broadly protective antibodies. Computational design helps optimize immune targeting, potentially eliminating yearly boosters and protecting against future coronaviruses.