PhD student Mikaela Bell has produced a new recombinant virus system to produce a new generation of vaccine and diagnostic antigens for a range of pathogenic alphaviruses, including chikungunya, Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses.
Utilising the Australian insect-specific alphavirus, Yada Yada virus, as the genetic backbone, she created novel pathogen mimics that cannot infect humans and animals, but appear identical to the alphavirus pathogens. This system will be used to create safe diagnostics and vaccines for a range of pathogenic alphaviruses.