How COVID-19 vaccines and gut microbes shape antibody responses
Official title: Systems biological assessment of B cell responses to vaccination
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11388612 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares antibody and B cell responses to two COVID-19 vaccines and looks at how gut microbes affect those responses in people who get vaccinated.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | March 7, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $366,607 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AI167903-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11388612 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults eligible for the Pfizer–BioNTech or Novavax COVID-19 vaccines, including people with and without prior COVID-19 infection and those with histories of food allergy or suspected PEG-related reactions.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not receiving these vaccines, children if the study enrolls only adults, or patients unable to provide blood or stool samples are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze blood and immune cells from people who receive either the Pfizer–BioNTech mRNA vaccine or the Novavax protein vaccine to map antibody and B cell changes over time. They will use detailed laboratory techniques to track which B cell and plasma cell clones produce antibodies and how long those antibodies last. The team will also study participants' gut microbiome and link its features to stronger or weaker vaccine responses, and coordinate with related projects measuring innate and T cell responses. Finally, they will examine samples from people with severe allergic reactions or with anti-PEG antibodies to explore possible B cell contributions to rare vaccine-related anaphylactoid events.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help explain why some people make stronger or longer-lasting antibodies, guide better vaccine design, and clarify causes of rare severe allergic reactions.
How similar studies have gone: Many studies have characterized antibody responses to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, but combining deep B cell cloning, direct comparison with a protein vaccine, microbiome links, and focused study of PEG-related allergic responses is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boyd, Scott Dexter — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Boyd, Scott Dexter
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.