An important part of our work is the laboratory where we carry out academic research projects. Our research laboratory is also involved in several of our clinical vaccine studies. Like the Vaccine Research Center, the laboratory is a part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology of the Tampere University.
The laboratory is led by Vesna Blazevic, PhD.
The research team has a strong and wide-ranging expertise in both traditional and current top-level methods in immunology, cell culture, molecular biology and biochemistry, i.a. multi-colour flow cytometry, PCR, cloning, protein production in cell cultures, and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
At the moment, the laboratory employs researchers: PhD Vesna Blazevic, PhD Suvi Heinimäki, PhD Kirsi Tamminen, FM Stina Gröhn.
The main research topics include:
Developement of new generation subunit non-live vaccines.
Developing a vaccine against paediatric gastroenteritis as a combination vaccine based on the virus-like particles (VLP) of norovirus and the VP6-protein of rotavirus.
Developing a vaccine against coronavirus based on the virus-like particles (VLP).
Specific expertise:
Vaccine antigen design
Vaccine production and specification at the laboratory scale
Vaccine adjuvants and novel vaccine delivery platforms
Vaccine immunogenicity/primary pharmacodynamics and proof-of-concept studies
Translation of knowledge from animal studies into clinical approaches
Vaccine immunogenicity in clinical trials
Norovirus epidemiology, genotype distribution and virus-induced immunity
Rotavirus epidemiology and genetic evolution
Rotavirus vaccine studies: real-life effectiveness
Epidemiology and pathogenicity of sapovirus and astrovirus
PhD theses in vaccine research
Maria Hemming-Harlo 28 May, 2014
Leena Huhti 1 April, 2015
Kirsi Tamminen 12 June, 2015
Suvi Lappalainen 6 November, 2015
Sirpa Räsänen 22 January, 2016
Minna Paloniemi 15 April, 2016