Exploration of streptococcal carbohydrates for glycoconjugate vaccine development

A型链球菌是人类独有的病原体，每年在全球造成超过7亿例感染，其中> 500，000名患者死亡。侵袭性A型链球菌分离株的耐药性增加。必须考虑新的治疗选择，Dorfmueller实验室已经在功能上建立了一个糖缀合物疫苗生产平台，提供了新的机会。学生将探索一个E。大肠杆菌生产平台，以测试的可行性，建立几个链球菌蛋白修饰的物种特异性碳水化合物。学生将从事分子生物学和生物化学，蛋白质纯化和分析。除了A型链球菌外，许多其他人类和兽医链球菌产生相关的碳水化合物，这些碳水化合物尚未被探索为候选疫苗。学生的任务是研究在大肠杆菌中构建这些碳水化合物的可行性。大肠杆菌，并对其组成和免疫原性能力进行鉴定。学生还将有机会为新一代候选碳水化合物疫苗构建新型“载体”。除了分子生物学，合成和聚糖生物学方面的专家培训和建议外，学生还将有机会通过不同的渠道交流他们的项目，包括研讨会演讲和公共参与活动。

Strep A bacteria are human exclusive pathogens that are responsible for more than 700 m cases of infection globally per annum, with > 500,000 patients dying. Antimicrobial resistance increases in invasive Strep A isolates. Novel therapeutic options must be considered and the Dorfmueller laboratory has functionally build a glycoconjugate vaccine production platform that provides novel opportunities. The student will explore an E. coli production platform to test the feasibility to build several streptococcal proteins decorated with a species-specific carbohydrate. The student will be engaged in molecular biology and biochemistry, protein purification and analysis. In addition to Strep A bacteria, many other human and veterinary streptococcal bacteria produce related carbohydrates that are yet to be explored as vaccine candidates. The student will have the task to investigate the feasibility to engineer and build these carbohydrates in E. coli and characterise them for their composition and ability to be immunogenic. The student will also have the opportunity to build novel 'vehicles' for this new generation of carbohydrate vaccine candidates. In addition to expert training and advice in molecular biology, synthetic and glycan biology, the student will have the opportunity to communicate their project via different channels, including seminar presentations and public engagements activities.