The University of Oxford has announced the launch of a new vaccine research programme in collaboration with the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), following the receipt of £118m ($159.2m) in research funding.
The initiative, named CoI-AI (Correlates of Immunity-Artificial Intelligence), will be led by the Oxford Vaccine Group.
This programme aims to integrate Oxford's expertise in human challenge studies, immune science and vaccine development with EIT's advancements in AI technology.
The objective is to enhance the understanding of the immune response to infections and the protective effects of vaccines.
The CoI-AI programme will focus on the immune system's reaction to pathogens that lead to severe infections and contribute to antibiotic resistance, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and E coli.
These pathogens are responsible for widespread illnesses and have proven challenging for traditional vaccine strategies.
Researchers will employ human challenge models, where volunteers are safely exposed to specific bacteria in controlled environments, alongside modern immunology and AI methodologies to identify immune responses that correlate with protection.
Oxford Vaccine Group director Professor Sir Andrew Pollard stated: “This programme addresses one of the most urgent problems in infectious disease by helping us to understand immunity more deeply to develop innovative vaccines against deadly diseases that have so far evaded our attempts at prevention.
“By combining advanced immunology with artificial intelligence, and using human challenge models to study diseases, CoI-AI will provide the tools we need to tackle serious infections and reduce the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.”
In December 2024, Oxford and EIT formalised a long-term strategic partnership aimed at addressing some of the most pressing challenges faced by humanity.
This collaboration encompasses a range of disciplines: generative biology, clinical medicine, plant science, sustainable energy and public policy.
The initiative is supported by computational resources provided by Oracle, which include a dedicated AI team and a scholars programme designed to cultivate the next generation of scientists.
EIT chairman Larry Ellison stated: “Researchers in the CoI-AI programme will use artificial intelligence models developed at EIT to identify and better understand the immune responses that predict protection.
“This vaccine development programme combines Oxford’s leadership in immunology and human challenge models with cutting-edge AI, laying the groundwork for a new era of vaccine discovery - one that is faster, smarter and better able to respond to infectious disease outbreaks throughout the world.”
The Oxford Vaccine Group operates within the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Oxford’s Medical Sciences Division.
