Vaccine Testing/Research

Experience and Qualifications of Personnel

For over 40 years, the IAR has focused on small animal models to determine the efficacy of antiviral chemotherapeutics, immunomodulating agents, and vaccines. In addition, USU has facilities for completion of both BSL-2 and BSL-3+ animal studies.  For information about evaluation of vaccine testing, contact Dr. Bart Tarbet (bart.tarbet@usu.edu, 435-797-3954) or Dr. Brett Hurst (brett.hurst@usu.edu, 435-797-1631).

Design and Analysis of Vaccine Studies Include:

Animal studies using inactivated (killed), subunit, recombinant, vectored, or live-attenuated vaccines, including evaluations for:

1. Route of administration
2. Minimum protective dose
3. Vaccine immunogenicity
4. Vaccine safety
5. Adjuvant evaluation and comparison

Preparation of Inactivated (Killed) Whole Virus Vaccines:

1. Evaluation of virus inactivation kinetics
2. Validation of virus inactivation

Immunological Studies Include:

1. Antibody assays:
   1. Antibody assessment following vaccination (total and virus-specific antibody)
   2. sIgA assessment in lung lavage fluid
   3. Immunoglobulin isotype assessment
   4. Hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition assays
   5. Virus neutralization assays
2. T cell assay readouts:
   1. Multiplex ELISA to measure cytokines in serum, tissue, or lung lavage fluid
   2. ELISpot to enumerate cytokine-producing cells
3. Flow cytometry of cellular infiltrates into the lungs of mice