Disclosed herein are compositions and methods related to mutant viruses, and in particular, mutant influenza viruses. The mutant viruses disclosed herein include a mutant BM2 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.

Disclosed are viruses, and vaccines comprised of and made from such viruses, that include a heterologous nucleic acid segment encoding α-1,3-galactosyltransferase (α-1,3-GT) such that the nucleic acid segment expresses α-1,3-GT when the virus infects a host cell. Such viruses produce proteins having α-1,3-galactose. The presence of α-1,3-galactose on proteins of infected cells can powerfully stimulate the immune response of the host against the viral proteins of the virus, thus enhancing the effect of the virus as a vaccine. Also disclosed are vaccines that include and/or are produced by such viruses. Also disclosed are methods of making and using such viruses and vaccines, such as administering to a subject in need thereof a vaccine as disclosed and such as making a vaccine that includes one or more viral proteins expressed by a virus as disclosed.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods related to mutant viruses, and in particular, mutant influenza viruses. The mutant viruses disclosed herein include a mutant BM2 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.

The invention relates to generic methods for the detection and quantification of influenza viruses. These may uses a reverse transcription (RT-PCR) real time (q-PCR) assay which amplifies a conserved region within influenza A or B strains. The assays allow the quantification of influenza virus RNA molecules or whole virus particles, irrespective of the particular virus strain (e.g. human, avian, swine flu). The methods are particularly applicable as diagnostic assays or in the monitoring of vaccine production processes.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods related to mutant viruses, and in particular, mutant influenza viruses. The mutant viruses disclosed herein include a mutant BM2 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.

The invention provides a composition useful to prepare influenza viruses, e.g., in the absence of helper virus, using vectors which include tandem transcription cassettes containing PolI and/or PolII promoters.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods related to mutant viruses, and in particular, mutant influenza viruses. The mutant viruses disclosed herein include a mutant BM2 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.