Since 1989, we have been involved in the development of a vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type b. The new vaccine is based on the conjugation of synthetic oligosaccharides to tetanus toxoid. Our main goals have been (i) to verify the feasibility of using the synthetic antigen and (ii) to search for new production alternatives for this important infant vaccine. Overall, eight trials have already been conducted with adults, children (4 to 5 years old), and infants. We have described herein the details from the first two phase I clinical trials conducted with human adult volunteers under double blind, randomized conditions. The participants each received a single intramuscular injection to evaluate safety and initial immunogenicity. We have found an excellent safety profile and an antibody response similar to the one observed for the control vaccine.

Mycobacteriophages Joselito, Patt, and Tydolla were isolated from different soil or water samples using Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155 as the host. Each was obtained using direct isolation techniques, purified, and then sequenced using the deconvolution of genomes after en masse sequencing (DOGEMS) method.

Apex and Gophee are mycobacteriophages directly isolated from soil using the host Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155. Apex has a 71,244-bp double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome encoding 98 putative proteins, and Gophee has a 68,556-bp dsDNA genome encoding 101 putative proteins.