Structural proteomics for HIV vaccine design
Scientific Core: Structural Proteomics
Using high-resolution imaging and single-cell tools to help create better HIV vaccines for people at risk of HIV infection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Scripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11312606 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project maps exactly where and how antibodies in people's blood bind to HIV using cryo-electron microscopy-based EMPEM and single-cell B cell sequencing. By combining structural maps with antibody sequence data, researchers can quickly generate monoclonal antibodies and reveal how vaccine candidates engage precursor B cells. Those detailed insights guide design of immunogens aimed at eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies. The core provides these advanced analyses to support animal studies and early human vaccine trials, helping translate lab findings into clinical testing more quickly.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who enroll in HIV vaccine trials or donate blood samples for antibody studies, including healthy volunteers and people living with HIV, would be the typical participants linked to this work.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate HIV treatments or those not participating in vaccine or sample-donation studies are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this core's activities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could speed development of more effective HIV vaccines that better trigger protective antibody responses.
How similar studies have performed: Related structure-guided immunogen design and EMPEM approaches have shown promising results in animal studies and an early-phase human trial, though broader protective vaccines remain a goal.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Scripps Research Institute, the — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ward, Andrew Barrett — Scripps Research Institute, the
- Study coordinator: Ward, Andrew Barrett
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 below.