Award Details:
Award Type: covid-19-response
Award #: CR-002
Proposal Title: Novel Strategies for Enhancing Vaccine Efficacy Against SARS-CoV-2
PI(s): Melody Swartz (UChicago), Jeffrey Hubbell (UChicago), Evan Scott (NU), and Ying Samuel Hu (UIC)
Award Amount: $500,000.00
Application Cycle: Summer 2020
Award Start Date: September 1, 2020
Award End Date: August 31, 2022
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.