Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Approximately 5-15% of the world population is infected annually with influenza, resulting in three to five million severe cases and 250 000 to 500 000 deaths. Vaccine production platforms based on transient expression of antigens in plants using Agrobacterium tumefaciens allow for efficient production of subunit vaccines that can be rapidly scaled up. However, plants react to Agrobacterium with an antimicrobial defense response which can decrease protein production and quality. Research will be undertaken to characterize the immune response of the plant against Agrobacterium, with the ultimate goal of attenuating plant defense responses an improving protein expression. This project will undertake a two-pronged approach: modification of the bacterium so that it suppresses the defense response and identification of plant genes whose suppression will result in an attenuated defense response. Together, this will allow for an increase in protein production and quality. Altered bacteria can be directly incorporated into current vaccine production methods and candidate plant genes will be rendered non-functional in mutant Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Once generated, mutant plant lines can also be incorporated into vaccine production platforms. This research will directly benefit the Canadian vaccine manufacturing industry. In addition, this platform will lead to greater flexibility and stability in the global vaccine supply chain, which will provide significant benefits to the health of Canadians.