We are delighted to award another grant to Barts Charity to support their research into immune decay, SARS-CoV-2 variants and the choice and timing of booster vaccinations.
Our £49,400 grant will fund the analysis of the T cell signature of 190 units of blood samples, which involves two tests (known as alpha and beta chain). Each of these “tests” includes three distinct steps, known as RNA isolation, library preparation and high throughput sequencing. Samples are taken post first and second vaccines and a broader range of samples at the 6 month post native immunity timepoint.
The new data produced during the project will build on the COVIDsortium’s existing collaborative published and unpublished observations about immunity to SARS-CoV-2 following natural infection and vaccination and will address additional hypotheses of crucial importance to managing the COVID-19 pandemic.