SBIR Phase II: Design and production of a next generation vaccine to prevent COVID

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的更广泛影响是开发新一代COVID-19疫苗，以解决当前疫苗的弱点。虽然目前的COVID-19疫苗挽救了无数人的生命，并使我们的社会恢复正常，但它们也有其弱点。 助推器有时是无效的，当他们是，他们有短暂的疗效，他们可以有轻微到严重的副作用。这些弱点不仅使个人面临感染新冠病毒或副作用的风险，而且这些弱点还损害了对疫苗的信心，从而影响了合规性。拟议的项目有望生产出下一代疫苗，该疫苗具有更好的疗效和显着减少的副作用，以及增加有效期。这可能为疫苗加强剂的有效年度管理计划铺平道路，该计划可以解决新菌株，就像季节性流感疫苗一样。拟议项目旨在生产下一代疫苗，可以重新树立接种疫苗预防COVID-19的信心。该项目的目标是证明候选疫苗不仅可以产生阻止病毒传播的免疫反应，而且还可以杀死病毒。此外，希望该项目将表明该疫苗比目前的疫苗更安全，并且它促进的免疫反应比目前的疫苗持续时间长得多。这将通过在一个很好地模拟人类呼吸系统的生物模型中测试疫苗来实现。不仅要测试疗效，还要测试免疫反应的持久性。作为研究的另一个目的，将检查给药途径。该疫苗的有效性将通过注射、鼻腔给药或微针贴片进行比较。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine that addresses the weaknesses of the current vaccines. While the current COVID-19 vaccines have saved countless lives and have allowed our society to get back to normal, they have their weaknesses. The boosters are sometimes not effective, and when they are, they have short-lived efficacy and they can have mild to severe side effects. These weaknesses not only put individuals at risk of getting sick with COVID or the side effects, but those weaknesses also compromise confidence in the vaccine, which affects compliance. The proposed project promises to produce a next-generation vaccine that has better efficacy and significantly reduced side effects, as well as increased duration of effectiveness. This could pave the way for an effective annual administration schedule of the vaccine booster that addresses new strains, much like the seasonal influenza vaccine. The proposed project intends to produce a next-generation vaccine that can renew confidence in vaccinating to prevent COVID-19. The project's objectives are to show that the vaccine candidate can not only create an immune response that can stop the spread of the virus but also kill the virus. Additionally, it is hoped that the project will show that the vaccine is safer than the current vaccines and that it promotes an immune response that lasts significantly longer than current vaccines. This will be accomplished by testing the vaccine in a Hamster model that simulates the human respiratory system well. Not only will efficacy be tested, but the longevity of the immune response will also be tested. As an additional objective of the study, the route of administration will be examined. The vaccine's effectiveness will be compared by administering it either through injection, nasal administration, or a microneedle patch.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.