The present invention provides replication incompetent influenza viral particles comprising a modified hemagglutinin (HA) protein. Also provided are methods for making and using the viral particles, and cell lines for making the viral particles.

In some embodiments the present invention provides influenza hemagglutinin (“HA”) polypeptides, proteins, and protein complexes that comprise a stalk domain that is engineered to facilitate maintenance of its native trimeric conformation, even if the head domain of the HA protein is removed or disrupted. In some embodiments, the present invention provides compositions comprising such polypeptides, proteins, and protein complexes, and methods of use of such proteins and compositions, for example as vaccine immunogens.

Material complexes that capture biologicals and methods of synthesizing and using such complexes composed of fluid-insoluble material and a receptor are provided herewith. The fluid-insoluble material has reactive functionality on its surface, including hydroxyl, amino, mercapto or eposy functionality material. The material can be agarose, sand, textile, or any combination thereof. The receptor is selected from the group consisting of mono-and poly-saccharides, heparin, or any combination thereof. Also provide are methods whereby releasing the captured biologicals and is controllable.

A method of preserving the one or more chemical and/or biological species in a polymer matrix comprising pullulan and trehalose is described. The method includes combining the one or more chemical and/or biological species, an aqueous pullulan and a trehalose solution and drying the resultant mixture to provide a solid polymeric matrix. A polymeric matrix comprising one or more chemical and/or biological species and its use, for example, on surfaces for food preparation, for food preservation and in biological preparations is also described.

The present invention relates to a method for stabilising viruses or bacteria, the method comprising embedding the viruses or bacteria in an aqueous solution, wherein the solution comprises: (i) at least three different amino acids; or (ii) at least one dipeptide or tripeptide and wherein the solution is free or substantially free of sugar(s), silanes and protein(s).

Modified influenza virus neuraminidases are described herein that have stabilized NA tetramers which may improve vaccine production efficiency, thus improving the yield of vaccine viruses.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods related to mutant viruses, and in particular, mutant influenza viruses. The mutant viruses disclosed herein include a mutant M2 sequence, and are useful in immunogenic compositions, e.g., as vaccines. Also disclosed herein are methods, compositions and cells for propagating the viral mutants, and methods, devices and compositions related to vaccination.

A method of preserving the one or more chemical and/or biological species in a polymer matrix comprising pullulan and trehalose is described. The method includes combining the one or more chemical and/or biological species, an aqueous pullulan and a trehalose solution and drying the resultant mixture to provide a solid polymeric matrix. A polymeric matrix comprising one or more chemical and/or biological species and its use, for example, on surfaces for food preparation, for food preservation and in biological preparations is also described.

Disclosed are compositions and methods comprising one or more recombinant influenza viruses. Recombinant influenza viruses with mutated polymerases and/or rearranged genomes are disclosed. Constructs comprising different influenza nucleic acid sequences are also provided. Methods of inducing protecting immunity with the recombinant influenza viruses are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of plasmid-free production of influenza virus comprising amplicons comprising one or more of influenza genes.

A method for adapting an influenza virus to Vero cells is provided. The method comprises infecting Vero cells with the influenza virus, cultivating the infected Vero cells, harvesting influenza viruses of each passage, wherein infectious dose of the influenza viruses of one passage is greater than or equal to infectious dose of the influenza viruses of a previous passage. The present disclosure also relates to a composition. Said composition comprises polyriboinosinic acid-polyribocytidylic acid, at least one antibiotic or polyamide compound, at least one positive ion, influenza viruses and/or influenza antigens, wherein said influenza viruses and/or influenza antigens are acquired from Vero cell adapted influenza viruses.