BacVax is a spin-off from the University of Arizona with a novel approach to developing vaccines against bacterial infections by mapping the proteins on the surface of bacteria.

BacVax’s approach involves bioinformatic analyses of genome sequences paired with protein structure analysis to identify protein regions that are: present in every strain in the species; on the surface for access by the immune system; 100% sequence conserved; and long enough to function as an immune target.

BacVax also uses a novel delivery system, Bacterial Vaccine Polypeptides, to efficiently deliver the Vaccine Targets of multiple proteins, thus stimulating an immune response that attacks bacteria at multiple sites.

The company says that because its method is based on genomic and structural vaccinology, any bacteria can be analyzed for targets. This means its vaccines should be able to address bacterial infections that currently have no vaccine options available, such as ear infections and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BacVax views bacterial vaccines as a safer long-term alternative to frequent antibiotic for both humans and animals.

Subscribe for alerts on new companies featured on Startups.Bio

View all recently featured startups