Vaccines & Biologics Discovery

We can help you acquire preclinical data for your novel vaccine candidates or biologicals. The RBL has many validated animal models available for your studies and can be performed under GLP conditions. Scientific staff can design and perform studies to evaluate safety and efficacy, protection from pathogens, and elicitation of immune responses. 

Serum neutralizing antibodies are an important predictor of protection against infection and mild disease. Obtaining neutralizing antibody titers are key to determining efficacy and required to support preclinical vaccine data. We can work with you to design the appropriate study needed to measure neutralizing antibody titers and determine the effectiveness of your vaccine. Please see the ABSL-2/3 animal models of infectious disease section to identify models we have available for testing. 

Detection of antigen specific T and B cells is critical for monitoring immune responses, and efficacy of vaccine and drug candidates. The CTL ImmunoSpot measures antigen driven cytokine production or antibodies with greater sensitivity than other protein assays such as ELISA or bead array. The instrument is equipped to analyze single- and dual-color enzymatic ELISpot assays, up to 3 fluorochromes and is equipped with BioSpot Software for Viral plaque assays. Additionally, we have the ImmunoCompliance™ package which includes an integrated Barcode reader and IQ reference plate and software to comply with GLP regulations. The instrument is in the RBL and can be run by RBL staff or trained RBL users. 

Total Immunoglobulin and subtypes (A, G, M) can be quantitated using Luminex multiplex immunoassays. These assays are bead-based and measure multiple analytes in one sample using microspheres coupled with detection antibodies. These assays come preconfigured, custom built to measure only the analytes of interest to your lab, or you can conjugate the microspheres with your antibody of choice. 

Spectral cytometry enables users to monitor immune responses and examine vaccine efficacy. The Cytek Aurora Spectral Cytometer allows a user to greatly expand their multicolor cytometry panels because the instrument measures the whole spectral signature of individual fluorochromes rather than just the peak emission wavelength. This allows more fluorochromes to be used simultaneously resulting in more sophisticated immunophenotyping or characterization of immune cells. The aurora is equipped with 3 lasers- violet (405nm), blue (488nm), and red (640 nm) and can detect up to 24 colors. It is equipped with an automated sampler for tubes or 96 well plates.  

Animal care management and staff are AALAS certified and trained in all aspects of biocontainment safety practices and procedures. The facility features Allentown BCU caging systems and Class II Type A2 biosafety cabinets in all animal holding rooms. We are able to house up to 4,000 mice, 300 rats, and 150 hamsters or guinea pigs under ABSL-2 or -3 containment. RBL staff can be contracted to perform animal work for infectious disease research ranging from weights and daily observations to infections, blood and tissue collection and full necropsy.

 

 

Validated models with mice:

• Influenza BSL-2 strains (intranasal)
• Old World hantaviruses
• Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 1 (SARS CoV-1)
• Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2)
• Middle-East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus (MERS CoV)
• Respiratory Syncytial virus (intranasal)
• Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses (subcutaneous and intranasal)
• Western equine encephalitis viruses (subcutaneous and intranasal)
• Eastern equine encephalitis viruses (subcutaneous and intranasal)
• Leptospira interrogans; Intraperitoneal, conjunctival, transdermal
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis (intranasal)
• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcal aureus 
• Staphylococcus aureus (laboratory and clinical strains) 
• Streptococcus pneumoniae (laboratory and clinical strains) 
• Co-infection model with influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae or Staphylococcus aureus 
• Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula 
• Other - available on request 

Validated models with ferret:

• Influenza BSL-2 strains (intranasal) 
• Influenza HPAI BSL-3 strains (intranasal) 
• SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 BSL-3 strains (intranasal) 

**Other small animal models available upon request.

• Xenogen IVIS Spectrum In Vivo Imaging
• CT
• ECHO 
• Clinical Signs, Weight, Temperature Measurements 
• Clinical Chemistry 
• Hematology 

• RNA Isolation/RNA  
• RNA Isolation/qPCRSeq  
• Plaque Assay 
• PRNT  
• Cytospin 
• Magpix 
• LC-MS/MS  
• Pathology  
• Western Blot 
• BLAZE 
• Cell Sorting and Flow Cytometry 
• Immuglobulin Measurements and Subtyping 
• Fluorescent Microscopy 
• ELISpot 
• Protein Target Multiplexing