Preface
In this book for Methods in Molecular Biology, titled Vaccine Delivery Technology, we make a
holistic effort to cover the vaccine development process and the role delivery concepts
contribute to a global goal of effective final health outcomes. In so doing, readers are
presented with topics that span a broad array of ongoing research in vaccine production
intended to be educational and useful to those both within and outside of the vaccine fields.
Of note, we include chapters from both industry and academia with contributions coming
from different countries, continents, and perspectives.
This diversity in content and contributions adds to the educational breadth of the book
but also flavors applications by the regions of the globe contributing associated chapters. As
such, the general reader will also gain appreciation for the development of vaccination
research programs associated with regional disease concerns. An additional advantage to
this breadth of topics is the knowledge regarding diseases that rely upon vaccine research and
development to provide much needed treatment options.
In terms of content flow, the book begins with vaccine basics, including several early
chapters devoted to antigen identification and selection. Chapters include computational
approaches, provided by the Ellis and Daura groups, to antigen identification. These
chapters build on the immense level of data generated through various next generation
sequencing and associated ‘omics approaches. In related chapters, the Bidmos and McKay
groups discuss the identification of functional monoclonal antibodies resulting from antigen
exposure.
The following and related chapters next turn to antigen preparation and established
forms of antigen administration. Chapters devoted to genetic and protein antigen preparation are provided by the Lundstrom, Nichita, and Czermak groups. These preparation
methods overlap with the earlier introduced chapters on monoclonal antibody capture
from said antigens, particularly in the case for protein-based antigens. Included with these
chapters is a contribution from the Bracewell group on rapid and high-throughput methods
of antigen purification.
Subsequent chapters (contributed by the Smith, Keys, Wolff, Shukla, Micoli, Guo, and
Fiebig groups) cover various formats for vaccine formulations. These include the use of
viral-like particles (VLPs), whole cell vaccines, and glycoconjugate vaccines. Included in
these chapters are unique methodologies for combining emerging approaches for in vivo
glycoconjugation with VLP carriers. In addition, the Chakravortty group provides a chapter
on attenuation methods used in particular for live whole cell vaccines.
The next several chapters, contributed by the Ramsey, Czermak, Rak, Chakravortty,
Mancha-Agresti, and Pfeifer groups, focus on the central theme of this book, that is, vaccine
delivery. As such, topics span viral and nonviral gene delivery technology, the use of bacterial
and hybrid bacterial-biomaterial delivery devices, dual antigen delivery liposomal carriers,
and needle-less noninvasive delivery technology. Intermixed with these chapters are important contributions by the Petrovsky, Zeng, and Cui groups that present methodologies
associated with vaccine adjuvant selection and long-term vaccine storage preparation.
The final series of chapters are devoted to vaccine delivery effectiveness assessment. The
McCluskie, Herbert, and Bou Ghanem groups provide chapters that cover confirmation of
vaccine delivery carriers, common assessment methodologies (ELISpot, ELISA), methods
v
In this book for Methods in Molecular Biology, titled Vaccine Delivery Technology, we make a
holistic effort to cover the vaccine development process and the role delivery concepts
contribute to a global goal of effective final health outcomes. In so doing, readers are
presented with topics that span a broad array of ongoing research in vaccine production
intended to be educational and useful to those both within and outside of the vaccine fields.
Of note, we include chapters from both industry and academia with contributions coming
from different countries, continents, and perspectives.
This diversity in content and contributions adds to the educational breadth of the book
but also flavors applications by the regions of the globe contributing associated chapters. As
such, the general reader will also gain appreciation for the development of vaccination
research programs associated with regional disease concerns. An additional advantage to
this breadth of topics is the knowledge regarding diseases that rely upon vaccine research and
development to provide much needed treatment options.
In terms of content flow, the book begins with vaccine basics, including several early
chapters devoted to antigen identification and selection. Chapters include computational
approaches, provided by the Ellis and Daura groups, to antigen identification. These
chapters build on the immense level of data generated through various next generation
sequencing and associated ‘omics approaches. In related chapters, the Bidmos and McKay
groups discuss the identification of functional monoclonal antibodies resulting from antigen
exposure.
The following and related chapters next turn to antigen preparation and established
forms of antigen administration. Chapters devoted to genetic and protein antigen preparation are provided by the Lundstrom, Nichita, and Czermak groups. These preparation
methods overlap with the earlier introduced chapters on monoclonal antibody capture
from said antigens, particularly in the case for protein-based antigens. Included with these
chapters is a contribution from the Bracewell group on rapid and high-throughput methods
of antigen purification.
Subsequent chapters (contributed by the Smith, Keys, Wolff, Shukla, Micoli, Guo, and
Fiebig groups) cover various formats for vaccine formulations. These include the use of
viral-like particles (VLPs), whole cell vaccines, and glycoconjugate vaccines. Included in
these chapters are unique methodologies for combining emerging approaches for in vivo
glycoconjugation with VLP carriers. In addition, the Chakravortty group provides a chapter
on attenuation methods used in particular for live whole cell vaccines.
The next several chapters, contributed by the Ramsey, Czermak, Rak, Chakravortty,
Mancha-Agresti, and Pfeifer groups, focus on the central theme of this book, that is, vaccine
delivery. As such, topics span viral and nonviral gene delivery technology, the use of bacterial
and hybrid bacterial-biomaterial delivery devices, dual antigen delivery liposomal carriers,
and needle-less noninvasive delivery technology. Intermixed with these chapters are important contributions by the Petrovsky, Zeng, and Cui groups that present methodologies
associated with vaccine adjuvant selection and long-term vaccine storage preparation.
The final series of chapters are devoted to vaccine delivery effectiveness assessment. The
McCluskie, Herbert, and Bou Ghanem groups provide chapters that cover confirmation of
vaccine delivery carriers, common assessment methodologies (ELISpot, ELISA), methods
v