MLF: Killed whole-genome reduced-bacteria surface-expressed coronavirus fusion peptide vaccines protect against disease in a porcine model

We have developed a new rapid synthetic biology based vaccine platform that involves the expression of a protein antigen on the surface of bacteria that have had a large fraction of their genomes removed. We applied the new platform to developing a coronavirus vaccine targeting the fusion peptide region. In collaboration with the XJ Meng lab at Virginia Tech, we showed that vaccines targeting either the SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptide or the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) fusion peptide could protect pigs against clinical disease following experimental infection with PEDV, suggesting that a killed whole cell genome-reduced bacteria surface expressed fusion peptide vaccine offers a plausible route toward a universal coronavirus vaccine.