# CORE C:  Structure & Protein Engineering Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2024 · $847,709

## Abstract

For pandemic preparedness, structural biology and structure-based vaccine design are critical to the
prototype pathogen approach. Vaccine developers must select the viral protein(s) to be included in the
vaccine based on knowledge gained from studying the prototype viruses in each family. They must
also determine the optimal presentation of these viral proteins to effectively stimulate the immune
system and elicit the desired immune response. Structural biology guides these decisions and provides
the blueprint for rational design of engineered vaccine antigens. It also aids characterization of the
antigens, defines the epitopes of potently neutralizing antibodies, and provides insight into the
mechanisms of antibody-mediated neutralization, all of which enables iterative optimization of the antigen
designs. To support the Research Projects in achieving their objectives, Core C: Structure and
Protein Engineering will provide services encompassing protein engineering and production,
characterization, and structural biology.
 Dr. Jason McLellan (UT Austin), an expert in structural virology and the development of structure-
based interventions for viral pathogens, will lead Core C. His laboratory is well known for their ability to
determine viral protein structures and antibody complexes via X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM.
Furthermore, the McLellan laboratory has a wealth of experience in protein engineering, expression, and
purification. Dr. Jimmy Gollihar (Houston Methodist) and his team will contribute to Core C their proficiency
in synthetic biology, laboratory automation, and high-throughput screening and selection technologies. Core
C will perform high-throughput protein engineering and production, allowing hundreds of designed
protein constructs to be biophysically characterized for thermal stability, conformational homogeneity, and
antibody reactivity. Select protein antigens meeting pre-specified criteria will be provided to the Research
Projects and Cores to facilitate their studies, including immunogenicity experiments, antibody isolation, and
assay development. Core C will also determine structures of wildtype and variant viral proteins, including
complexes with antibody fragments. These structural insights will provide the atomic-level information
necessary for designing effective vaccine antigens, and the reagents and data generated by Core C will aid
the development of vaccine and antibody strategies for emerging enveloped RNA viruses in the
Nairoviridae, Hantaviridae, and Paramyxoviridae families.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10863595
- **Project number:** 1U19AI181977-01
- **Recipient organization:** ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Jason Scott McLellan
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $847,709
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10863595

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10863595, CORE C:  Structure & Protein Engineering Core (1U19AI181977-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10863595. Licensed CC0.

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