The present invention relates to a virus-like particle for preventing or treating toxoplasmosis, comprising influenza virus matrix protein 1; and surface antigen proteins comprising an inner membrane complex, Rhoptry protein 18 and Microneme protein 8 derived from Toxoplasma gondii, and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same.

The present invention provides, among other things, a novel and improved method for generating “mosaic” influenza antigenic polypeptides including hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) polypeptides based on unique combination of epitope patterns that maximize exposure to epitopes present across multiple HA or NA sequences and therefore improved influenza strain coverage. In particular, the present invention provides engineered H1N1 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) polypeptides that are comprised of novel combinations of protective epitopes and antigenic regions from multiple H1N1 viral strains. Such engineered HA polypeptides have improved properties over HA polypeptides developed through conventional approaches that rely on consensus alignments of viral sequences.

The present invention relates to methods of replicating viruses in vitro. In particular, the invention relates to a genetically modified population of cells, and/or a population of cells treated with an exogenous compound, wherein the cells are capable of producing more virus than cells lacking the genetic modification and/or lacking treatment with the exogenous compound. The invention also relates to methods of producing populations of such cells, as well as the use of the viruses obtained to prepare vaccine compositions.

The present invention provides, among other things, a novel and improved method for generating “mosaic” influenza antigenic polypeptides including hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) polypeptides based on unique combination of epitope patterns that maximize exposure to epitopes present across multiple HA or NA sequences and therefore improved influenza strain coverage. In particular, the present invention provides engineered H1N1 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) polypeptides that are comprised of novel combinations of protective epitopes and antigenic regions from multiple H1N1 viral strains. Such engineered HA polypeptides have improved properties over HA polypeptides developed through conventional approaches that rely on consensus alignments of viral sequences.

The present invention relates to methods of replicating viruses in vitro. In particular, the invention relates to a genetically modified population of cells, and/or a population of cells treated with an exogenous compound, wherein the cells are capable of producing more virus than cells lacking the genetic modification and/or lacking treatment with the exogenous compound. The invention also relates to methods of producing populations of such cells, as well as the use of the viruses obtained to prepare vaccine compositions.

A harvesting apparatus adapted to harvest egg fluid from an avian egg is provided. Such an apparatus includes a frame. A harvesting assembly is operably engaged with the frame. The harvesting assembly includes a plurality of nozzles configured to remove egg fluid from an egg. The nozzles are configured to rotate from a vertically off-axis angled position toward a vertical position. A suction assembly is in fluid communication with the nozzles for harvesting egg fluid from an egg. An associated method is also provided.

The present invention relates to a virus-like particle for preventing or treating toxoplasmosis, comprising influenza virus matrix protein 1; and surface antigen proteins comprising an inner membrane complex, Rhoptry protein 18 and Microneme protein 8 derived from Toxoplasma gondii, and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same.

The invention provides a composition useful to prepare high titer influenza viruses, e.g., in the absence of helper virus, which includes internal genes from an influenza virus vaccine strain or isolate, e.g., one that is safe in humans, for instance, one that does not result in significant disease, and genes from vaccine seed virus isolates which include a HA gene segment with a HA2 sequence encoding a HA2 that confers enhanced growth in cells in culture, such as Vero cells.

The present invention provides, among other things, a novel and improved method for generating mosaic influenza antigenic polypeptides including hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) polypeptides based on unique combination of epitope patterns that maximize exposure to epitopes present across multiple HA or NA sequences and therefore improved influenza strain coverage. In particular, the present invention provides engineered H1N1 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) polypeptides that are comprised of novel combinations of protective epitopes and antigenic regions from multiple H1N1 viral strains. Such engineered HA polypeptides have improved properties over HA polypeptides developed through conventional approaches that rely on consensus alignments of viral sequences.

The present invention provides, among other things, a novel and improved method for generating mosaic influenza antigenic polypeptides including hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) polypeptides based on unique combination of epitope patterns that maximize exposure to epitopes present across multiple HA or NA sequences and therefore improved influenza strain coverage. In particular, the present invention provides engineered H1N1 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) polypeptides that are comprised of novel combinations of protective epitopes and antigenic regions from multiple H1N1 viral strains. Such engineered HA polypeptides have improved properties over HA polypeptides developed through conventional approaches that rely on consensus alignments of viral sequences.