Malaria infects hundreds of millions each year by using the parasite Plasmodium to invade the liver through the CSP protein. This research designs tightly binding antibodies to block infection at its earliest stage, improving vaccine effectiveness and offering a path toward preventing malaria before symptoms begin.

Variants weaken current COVID vaccines because they target parts of the spike protein that mutate. This project uses nanoparticles displaying engineered versions of the conserved RBD region to steer the immune system toward making broadly protective antibodies. Computational design helps optimize immune targeting, potentially eliminating yearly boosters and protecting against future coronaviruses.