Investigators
- Melody Swartz
- Jeffrey Hubbell
- Evan Scott
- Ying Samuel Hu
Abstract
The rapid spread of COVID19 highlights the necessity of vaccines against its causative coronavirus, SARS- CoV-2. We will explore strategies to understand and improve neutralizing antibody responses against the viral Spike protein, which mediates viral entry into target cells. We will develop novel functional nanomaterials to target the vaccine to specific cells that regulate immune response, specifically dendritic cells to induce immunity and lymphatic endothelial cells to induce enhanced memory. We will employ advanced microscopy to gain better understanding of how specific cell types affect the generation and breadth of the response.