Technology Overview

Researchers have developed engineered, highly stable small proteins featuring antigens transplanted from the conserved and surface-exposed regions of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein. It has been shown that immunization of mice with these engineered proteins induce immune response, with immunized sera displaying spike protein binding activity. These proteins can be expressed in soluble form using an E. coli expression system, which is ideal for large scale production. These stable small proteins could potentially serve as vaccine candidates and could also be used in rapid anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection assays, as they show good binding against anti-spike antibodies.