King Lab

🚨 new paper alert 🚨

Here we demonstrate increased anti-RBS neutralizing responses elicited by stabilized influenza H5 immunogens:

bit.ly/4u8UxJl

The cover image shows an H5 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) protein carrying stabilizing mutations (magenta).

A noninvasive "fragmentome" test expand liquid biopsy to liver cirrhosis and other conditions, stabilized flu immunogens could improve vaccine efficacy for H5 influenza, and more this week in #ScienceTranslationalMedicine. https://scim.ag/4rN9eAx

Yesterday Dane Zambrano successfully defended her thesis on hybrid lipid-protein nanoparticles! Excellent work Dr. Dane!!

🚨 new paper alert 🚨

Here, we show how recently developed ML tools can be leveraged to design self-assembling protein nanoparticle immunogens in the absence of experimentally determined structures of the oligomeric building blocks.

Read more @pnas.org: doi.org/10.1073/pnas....

Computationally designed mRNA-launched protein nanoparticle immunogens elicit protective antibody and T cell responses in mice Genetic delivery of designed protein nanoparticles displaying the SARS-CoV-2 RBD elicits potent neutralizing antibody and CD8 T cell responses.

Applying computational design, researchers in #ScienceTranslationalMedicine present an integrated vaccine platform that combines the strengths of mRNA and nanoparticle technologies, and show it elicits strong immune responses in a SARS-CoV-2 model system. https://scim.ag/3W9M09p

Delivering protein nanoparticle vaccines via mRNA – Institute for Protein Design Combining the speed of mRNA and potency of design proteins yielded up to 28-fold more antibodies — and a platform technology that could transform how we respond to viral threats.

You can also learn more at our @uwproteindesign.bsky.social blog post: bit.ly/3KKnObo.

Computationally designed mRNA-launched protein nanoparticle immunogens elicit protective antibody and T cell responses in mice Genetic delivery of designed protein nanoparticles displaying the SARS-CoV-2 RBD elicits potent neutralizing antibody and CD8 T cell responses.

🚨 new paper alert 🚨

Here, we describe and evaluate a "best-of-both-worlds" vaccine technology platform that combines the benefits of mRNA vaccines and computationally designed protein nanoparticle immunogens: bit.ly/47s7btG.

mRNA vaccines 🤝 designed nanoparticle immunogens

Couldn't have asked for a lovelier day to break ground in our new lab downtown! 🌞

@uwproteindesign.bsky.social Thanks to Aia, Syed, Dixie, and James for joining us this summer as Rosetta Commons Undergraduate Researchers! We loved working with you these past 10 weeks and wish you the best as you head back home!

From sequence to scaffold: computational design of protein nanoparticle vaccines from AlphaFold2-predicted building blocks Self-assembling protein nanoparticles are being increasingly utilized in the design of next-generation vaccines due to their ability to induce antibody responses of superior magnitude, breadth, and du...

Another day, another preprint on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social!

Here, we show how new machine learning tools can be leveraged to design new self-assembling protein nanoparticle immunogens in the absence of experimentally determined structures of the building blocks. www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

Stabilization of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza hemagglutinin improves vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibody responses Transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza from H5 clade 2.3.4.4b has expanded in recent years to infect large populations of birds and mammals, heightening the risk of a human pandemic. Influe...

🚨 New paper alert! 🚨

Here we show that stabilized influenza hemagglutinin HPAI H5 immunogens improve the quality of elicited antibody responses. Thank you to @open_phil for funding this work! bit.ly/4lgr0rM

Creating multi-protein systems with atomic precision – Institute for Protein Design Protein design is expanding from building single molecules to generating entire systems from scratch with parts that work together in ways nature never explored.

You can also learn more in the most recent @uwproteindesign.bsky.social blog post: www.ipd.uw.edu/2025/08/crea...

🚨 new paper alert 🚨

Here, we present a method for designing protein nanoparticles with two unique faces that can bring together distinct biological targets at controlled distances!

This project was led by Dr. Sanela Rankovic is out now in Nature Materials: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

@uwproteindesign.bsky.social We’re looking for early stage investigators (Sr. Postdocs, Instructors, Asst Profs, etc) to join our ReVAMPP Center designing vaccines and antibodies against paramyxoviruses and bunyaviruses! Read more and apply here: tinyurl.com/MLvax-ESI-app

The IPD is hiring a new Assistant to the Director! This role provides complex administrative support to IPD leadership and is crucial to keeping operations running. Apply today! bit.ly/4kyguvn

Congrats on graduating Priya! After working in the lab for 3 years on vaccine adjuvants targeting the CD40 signaling pathway in germinal centers, she earned a Distinguished Researcher in Biochemistry award! Now she's off to work on flu vaccine research at NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center.

Elicitation of liver-stage immunity by nanoparticle immunogens displaying P. falciparum CSP-derived antigens - npj Vaccines npj Vaccines - Elicitation of liver-stage immunity by nanoparticle immunogens displaying P. falciparum CSP-derived antigens

🚨 new paper alert 🚨

Here, we designed, characterized, and evaluated >100 #malaria vaccines built on our two-component nanoparticle platform!

This collaborative project was led by Dr. Mark Langowski
and is out now in npj Vaccines: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

There's a new doctor in town, Cameron Criswell defended her PhD thesis last week! 🥳

Congratulations on all your hard work Dr. Criswell!

Our very own Grace Hendricks gave an excellent talk about her work on mRNA-launched nanoparticles at the Keystone Symposium on Vaccinology in Washington, DC today!

Phylogeny-driven design of broadly protective sarbecovirus receptor-binding domain nanoparticle vaccines Vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and sarbecoviruses with pandemic potential must elicit a robust humoral immune response in a population imprinted with the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. H...

Delighted to share our most recent work on designing broadly protective sarbecovirus vaccines and defining the path forward for other coronaviruses.

Led by @aminaddetia.bsky.social

@hhmi.org

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

On Monday the lab celebrated "Cinco de Cara" in honor of Dr. Cara Chao successfully defending her PhD thesis! 🥂

In addition to making MERS vaccines, Cara is a beloved member of the lab who often shares tasty baked goods and infectious laughter.

Congratulations!

The IPD is hiring a new Executive Director! This senior leadership role guides institutional strategy, builds research partnerships, drives fundraising, and directs operations at the world’s top center for computational protein design. Apply today! bit.ly/3Z99PA1

Enjoying the cherry blossoms and blue skies in Seattle today 🌞