Spotlight: NIST Researchers Analyze the Novavax Vaccine From Multiple Angles

Spotlight: NIST Researchers Analyze the Novavax Vaccine From Multiple Angles

A team of three NIST researchers, each with unique expertise, is studying a vaccine developed by biotech company Novavax for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.


The vaccine contains harmless versions of the viral spike proteins that trigger the immune system, as well as an adjuvant, a substance that enhances the overall immune response.


Read about the group’s research efforts below.


Alexander Grishaev and Solution X-Ray Scattering



Credit: IBBR


What does a beam of X-rays have to do with a COVID-19 vaccine? That’s where NIST chemist Alexander Grishaev comes in with his expertise in solution X-ray scattering — a technique that shines a thin beam of X-rays on a liquid sample to gather more detailed information on its structure. 


Alexander’s technique allows scientists to obtain information on the vaccine material without having to prepare the sample, such as freezing it, in advance. The technique sends a beam of X-rays to irradiate the material, which then interacts with the atoms in the sample. This causes the X-rays to scatter from the material at different angles, which are then measured. In doing so, scientists can determine the structure of the different components of the vaccine. 


This technique is used together with cryogenic electron microscopy and solution small angle neutron scattering, which together provide a complementary view of different aspects of the structure of the vaccine material. This may sound simple, but it’s a complex measurement problem, which is why NIST researchers stepped up to the challenge with their knowledge and measurement tools to help solve it.


Thomas Cleveland and Cryogenic Electron Microscopy



Credit: T. Cleveland/NIST


To study the vaccine, NIST physicist Thomas Cleveland is using cryogenic electron microscopy, ..

Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.