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UID:10075@gleanreport.com
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20251114T120000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20251114T130000
DTSTAMP:20251105T171024Z
URL:https://www.gleanreport.com/events/lisa-connor-4/
SUMMARY:Designing universal RNA vaccines by engineering antigens for broad 
 immunity. A seminar by Lisa Connor *IN PERSON*
DESCRIPTION:Malaghan Institute seminar\n\nDesigning universal RNA vaccines 
 by engineering antigens for broad immunity\n\nThe rapid success of mRNA va
 ccines against SARS-CoV-2 has showcased the potential of programmable anti
 gen design\, yet ongoing viral evolution highlights the need for next-gene
 ration vaccines that elicit broader and more durable protection. Dr Connon
 r and her team have established an integrated “end-to-end” pipeline th
 at couples AI-integrated protein engineering with mRNA antigen screening\,
  custom B-cell bait reagents\, and single-cell immune profiling to rapidly
  identify immunogens that recruit cross-reactive B cell responses to conse
 rved viral epitopes.\n\nIn this seminar\, Dr Connor will highlight a recen
 t study on a membrane-anchored tandem receptor-binding domain (RBD) mRNA i
 mmunogen\, which fuses antigenically divergent SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicro
 n RBDs on a single polypeptide. The divergent vaccine drives breadth throu
 gh co-presentation of shared and variant-specific epitopes\, eliciting pot
 ent neutralising antibodies and expanding cross-reactive B cells that reco
 gnise Delta\, Omicron\, and even the more distant SARS-CoV-1. Single-cell 
 BCR sequencing revealed two distinct pathways to breadth: the divergent va
 ccine enriches germline-biased\, clonally distinct cross-reactive B cells\
 , whereas matched RBD pairings achieve cross-reactivity via affinity matur
 ation within existing lineages.\n\nLeveraging these mechanistic insights\,
  the team are extending their approach to influenza. Their goal is to acce
 lerate the development of pan-virus\, universal RNA vaccines that provide 
 broad\, durable protection against current and emerging infectious threats
 .\n\nBio\nDr Lisa Connor is a Programme Leader at the Malaghan Institute o
 f Medical Research and Preclinical Pillar Lead for the New Zealand RNA Pla
 tform. She completed her PhD at the Malaghan Institute\, studying memory C
 D4⁺ T cell responses to mycobacteria\, before postdoctoral training at t
 he Trudeau Institute in Upstate New York\, where she investigated memory C
 D8⁺ T cell responses to respiratory viruses.\n\nOn returning to Aotearoa
 \, Lisa’s research focused on the biology and transcriptional programmin
 g of dendritic cells. Awarded an HRC Sir Charles Hercus Research Fellowshi
 p\, she established her independent laboratory at Te Herenga Waka – Vict
 oria University of Wellington in 2018.\n\nNow back at Malaghan\, Lisa lead
 s a programme investigating the immunobiology of vaccination\, with a focu
 s on respiratory pathogens. Leveraging expertise in mucosal vaccine develo
 pment and mRNA technologies\, her team aims to design smarter antigens and
  drive next-generation vaccine innovation.\n\nPlease note this is an in-pe
 rson only seminar.\n\nNote that if you are coming from outside the Malagha
 n Institute\, please allow time to sign-in at reception for their start at
  12pm. \n
CATEGORIES:Wellington
LOCATION: Seminar Room\, Malaghan Institute\, VUW\, Central  Services Build
 ing\, Victoria University\, Wellington\, New Zealand
GEO:-41.2911028;174.76845720000006
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 , Victoria University\, Wellington\, New Zealand;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITL
 E=Seminar Room\, Malaghan Institute\, VUW:geo:-41.2911028,174.768457200000
 06
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