Dr Manisha Pandey. Using a novel technology Griffith University Institute for Glycomics researchers are closer to the development of a new vaccine aimed at preventing the deadly Streptococcus A (Strep A), which kills more than 500,000 people globally per year. “Strep A colonises the upper respiratory tract and skin. Repeated infections can cause auto-immune complications and progress to invasive and immune-mediated diseases such as rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease,” says lead researcher Dr Manisha Pandey. “There is currently no vaccine available as immunity to Strep A in humans takes years to develop. This is because it is highly virulent and subverts innate and acquired immunity.”