Project number
16097
Organization
UA Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Academic year
2016-2017
Rotavirus is the most common cause of stomach flu in young children and accounts for 453,000 deaths every year worldwide. Only 19 percent of the world has been immunized against rotavirus, and there is a substantial need for additional vaccination.
The project team designed a facility capable of manufacturing a rotavirus vaccine on a large scale. The vaccine-manufacturing process has three stages: mammalian cells are grown and infected with a small amount of rotavirus, which then rapidly multiplies; the attenuated virus is filtered from the cells and concentrated; and the final vaccine is formulated, freeze dried and packaged for distribution.
The project team designed a facility capable of manufacturing a rotavirus vaccine on a large scale. The vaccine-manufacturing process has three stages: mammalian cells are grown and infected with a small amount of rotavirus, which then rapidly multiplies; the attenuated virus is filtered from the cells and concentrated; and the final vaccine is formulated, freeze dried and packaged for distribution.