Novel Synthesis Method Aids Rapid Testing of Vaccine Strategies against Respiratory Pathogens Source: Robert Hoetink/Fotolia January 20, 2021 Scientists in Australia have developed a method for the rapid synthesis of safe vaccines, and say their approach can be used to create and test potential vaccine strategies against respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. Headed by Richard Payne, PhD, at the University of Sydney, and Warwick Britton, PhD, at the Centenary Institute, the research team demonstrated application of their method with the development of a synthetic, self-adjuvanted protein vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), which generated a powerful protective immune response in mice. “Tuberculosis infects 10 million and kills more than 1.4 million people every year,” said Anneliese Ashhurst, PhD, from the University of Sydney, who is joint first author of the team’s published paper in