Characterizing Immune Responses to a New Pneumococcal Vaccine
Discover how vaccines work.
Project description
The bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) causes serious infections such as pneumonia. Our lab has designed a new vaccine that is highly protective against this infection. We want to understand the immune responses to this vaccine. In this project, the student will measure the immune response to this new vaccine in a pre-clinical model. At certain periods following immunization, the student will harvest the muscle and lymph nodes and ask what immune cells carry the vaccine antigens from the site of injection to the organs where immune responses are activated. The students will learn several lab techniques including collecting, and processing tissues and flow cytometry for immune cell characterization.
Project outcome
The student will be expected to produce data to present in a lab meeting at the end of the project, to present in a poster at a local meeting, and to contribute data for a figure for a manuscript describing the work.
Project details
| Length of commitment | Longer than a semester; 6-9 Months |
| Start time | January 22, 2025-August 31, 2025 |
| In-person, remote, or hybrid? | In Person (Can only function with in-person engagement) |
| Level of collaboration | Individual Student Project |
| Benefits | Stipend |
| Who is eligible | All undergraduate students |
Project mentor
Elsa Bou Ghanem
Associate Professor
Microbiology and Immunology
Phone: (716) 829-2422
Email: elsaboug@buffalo.edu
Start the project
- Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
- After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.)
Preparation activities
Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase.
Read prior publication from lab: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8920316/
Keywords
vaccines, pneumonia, immunity, Microbiology and Immunology