Genome-wide Protein Microarrays for Vaccine and Serodiagnostic Antigen Discovery

Featuring Philip L. Felgner, Ph.D.
Department of Medicine: Division of Infectious Diseases
UC Irvine

Location:  Calit2 Room 3008
Free and open to the public - refreshments provided

The LifeChips Seminar Series is presented by the IGERT Fellows of the LifeChips Program.  For more information about the LifeChips program, or fellowship opportunities, please visit www.lifechips.org or send inquiries to igert@lifechips.org.

Abstract:
The Applied Proteomics Research Laboratory (APRL) at UC Irvine has developed a high-throughput genome cloning, expression and printing approach to generate protein microarrays on a genome-wide scale for vaccine and serodiagnostic antigen discovery. To date, the lab has fabricated more than 18,000 arrays containing more than 28,000 proteins from 30 different viruses, bacteria and parasites. No other method of serodominant and serodiagnostic antigen discovery can quantitatively and comprehensively interrogate the humoral immune response on an antigen specific basis against bacteria, parasites and viral proteomes with large numbers and small volumes of individual patients’ sera, and with comparable accuracy, efficiency and speed. Targets include but are not limited to, M. tuberculosis, Plasmodium falciparum, Chlamydia trachomatis, West Nile virus, Dengue virus, Herpes 1&2,  HIV, HPV, vaccinia, and monkeypox. The arrays are designed for pre-clinical testing of vaccines in animals and humans, and can be used to rapidly define immunogenicity of vaccine formulations, distinguish vaccine “take,” determine immunity level and longevity, and identify correlates of protection and surrogate endpoints in animal models and in humans. The lab has also fabricated a human protein microarray for autoimmune and tumor associated targets.  The lab is currently investigating the development of an inexpensive, handheld, point-of-care, microfluidics instrument.  This instrument will accept a drop of blood from a potentially infected patient and automatically carry out hybridization reactions.  It will then assess the statistical probability that the individual is infected and produce a hard and soft copy of the results within 5 minutes.

About the Speaker:
Philip L. Felgner, Ph.D., received his bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees from Michigan State University, where he studied biochemistry and neuroscience. He went on to do his postdoctoral training at the University of Virginia in biophysics. Felgner’s research focuses on gene therapy, drug delivery (liposomes), DNA vaccines, and high throughput proteomics for serodiagnostic and vaccine antigen discovery.  His discoveries have led him to create two companies, Vical and Antigen Discovery Incorporated (ADi).  Felgner’s achievements also include 36 issued U.S. patents and more than 90 scientific publications.