Provided herein are nanoparticles which enhance the immunogenicity of antigens for use in Beta coronavirus (e.g., MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1, or SARS-CoV-2) vaccines, as well as immunogenic compositions comprising the antigen nanoparticles and additional adjuvants for further enhancing immunogenicity.

Embodiments of immunogens based on the outer domain of HIV-1 gp120 and methods of their use and production are disclosed. Nucleic acid molecules encoding the immunogens are also provided. In several embodiments, the immunogens can be used to prime an immune response to gp120 in a subject, for example, to treat or prevent an HIV-1 infection in the subject.

Embodiments of immunogenic conjugates including the HIV-1 Env fusion peptide and methods of their use and production are disclosed. In several embodiments, the immunogenic conjugates can be used to generate an immune response to HIV-1 Env in a subject, for example, to treat or prevent an HIV-1 infection in the subject.

The present invention relates to engineered outer domain (eOD) immunogens of HIV gp120 and mutants thereof and methods of making and using the same. The present invention also includes fusions of eOD to various protein multimers to enhance immunogenicity. The mutant eODs bind to neutralizing antibody precursors. The mutant eODs can activate germline precursors on the pathway to eliciting a broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) response. The invention also relates to immunized knock-in mice expressing germline-reverted heavy chains. Induced antibodies showed characteristics of bnAbs and mutations that favored binding to near-native HIV-1 gp120 constructs. In contrast, native-like immunogens failed to activate precursors. The invention also relates to rational epitope design that can prime rare B cell precursors for affinity maturation to desired targets.

Embodiments of immunogens based on the outer domain of HIV-1 gp120 and methods of their use and production are disclosed. Nucleic acid molecules encoding the immunogens are also provided. In several embodiments, the immunogens can be used to prime an immune response to gp120 in a subject, for example, to treat or prevent an HIV-1 infection in the subject.

Described herein is malarial immnunogen or a variant thereof comprising at least a portion of the wild-type PfCSP amino acid sequence lacking a KQ motif. In aspects, the malarial immunogen is lacking a KQP motif. For example, the immnunogens described herein, in aspects, exclude the C-terminal domain of PfCSP. In other aspects, the immunogens described herein specifically exclude a KQ or KQP motif. In aspects the immunogens described herein exclude an N-terminal KQ or KQP motif, which is part of the N-terminal junction region in PfCSP.