RESEARCH FIELD

Vaccinology

Vaccinology is the science of vaccine development, encompassing antigen design, immunogen delivery, adjuvant formulation, immunological mechanism of protection, preclinical and clinical evaluation, and public health deployment. The COVID-19 pandemic catalysed a transformation of the field through the emergency authorisation of mRNA vaccines — lipid nanoparticle formulations encoding the viral spike protein that can be designed and manufactured within weeks of a pathogen's genomic sequence. Structure-guided antigen design using cryo-EM structures of viral surface proteins has advanced HIV, RSV, and influenza vaccine candidates. Adjuvant science investigates innate immune pattern recognition receptor agonists that enhance adaptive immune responses. Systems vaccinology uses transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of blood samples to identify early innate signatures predicting antibody titre and T cell responses. Mucosal vaccines inducing IgA at the site of pathogen entry are targets for respiratory and enteric pathogens. Funding comes from BARDA, NIH, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the Gates Foundation, and global vaccine manufacturers.