News

The Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) received a $16,218,499 (includes the base period and all options), seven-year (if all term options are exercised) contract to implement the Immunology Quality Assessment (IQA) Program from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to provide a resource to evaluate and enhance the ability of U.S. and non-U.S. laboratories to participate in NIAID-funded and collaborative clinical studies.

Combining structural biology and computation, a Duke-led team of researchers has identified how multiple mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein independently create variants that are more transmissible and potentially resistant to antibodies.

In the fight against viruses, antibodies have the potential to either block infection or enable infection and make the disease worse, leading to concern about their use as a therapy for COVID-19.

A newly identified group of antibodies that binds to a coating of sugars on the outer shell of HIV is effective in neutralizing the virus and points to a novel vaccine approach that could also potentially be used against SARS-CoV-2 and fungal pathogens, researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute report.

A potential new vaccine developed by members of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute has proven effective in protecting monkeys and mice from a variety of coronavirus infections -- including SARS-CoV-2 as well as the original SARS-CoV-1 and related bat coronaviruses that could potentially cause the next pandemic.

This article is a follow up with Thad Gurley of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) Accessioning Unit, and Stuart Magoon of the City of Tacoma Environmental Services Laboratory (ESL) to gain their perspective on leading labs through a year of the pandemic.

In 2017, three leading vaccine researchers submitted a grant application with an ambitious goal. At the time, no one had proved a vaccine could stop even a single beta coronavirus—the notorious viral group then known to include the lethal agents of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), as well as several causes of the common cold and many bat viruses. But these researchers wanted to develop a vaccine against them all.

The School of Medicine faculty and staff were among the recipients of Duke University’s prestigious 2020 Presidential Awards, which recognizes individuals and teams from the University and Health System who best demonstrate the values that define and shape Duke as an institution: respect, inclusion, excellence, trust and discovery.

Drew Weissman realized a year ago that even if the COVID-19 vaccines then in progress were eventually approved, it might not be enough. The world might need a next-generation vaccine to rid itself of this pandemic.

As millions of people recover from COVID-19, questions surrounding the vaccine, such as how soon a person can be vaccinated after recovering from COVID-19, are being asked. Moreover, people want to know if it’s OK to receive a vaccine if they currently have COVID-19. We talked to DHVI Investigator, Dr. Chip Walter for answers.