BP4 | Bunyavirus and Picornavirus Pandemic Pathogen Preparedness Center
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Our proactive collaborative research network aims to develop generalizable strategies for safe and effective vaccines and monoclonal antibodies to combat high-priority pathogens most likely to threaten human health.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
BP4 | Bunyavirus and Picornavirus Pandemic Pathogen Preparedness Center
The BP4 consortium brings together experts in virology, immunology, vaccine sciences, and antibody discovery to perform advanced research on prototype pathogens for Picornaviruses and Bunyaviruses. The group will develop both protective antiviral human antibodies (passive immunity) and vaccines (active immunity) for each of the viral pathogens studied. The highly interactive consortium will leverage lessons learned in the antibody studies of sites of vulnerability on the viruses to develop and test new vaccine concepts that can be extended from one prototype pathogen to all members of that class of viruses.
This Center is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number AI181979.
BP4 Overview
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BP4 Projects
Project 1: Design and Testing Picornavirus Vaccine Candidates
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
This project addresses the urgent need for vaccines against enteroviruses and rhinoviruses, which cause widespread respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological diseases. Using advanced technologies, the team is developing a rapid, adaptable vaccine platform with innovative virus-like particles and a self-replicating RNA-based mucosal adjuvant to trigger strong, long-lasting immune responses. By focusing on five medically significant pathogens, the project aims to create robust systemic and mucosal immunity, paving the way for effective vaccines to prevent future outbreaks and protect global health
LEAD ORGANIZATION/INSTITUTION:
University of California - San Francisco
VIRUS FAMILY FOCUS:
PROTOTYPE VIRUSES:
- Enterovirus D, Enterovirus A, Enteric Cytopathic Human Orphan Virus, Rhinovirus C
Project 2: Protective Human Antibodies for Picornaviruses
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
Picornaviruses pose a constant threat to global health, causing illnesses ranging from colds to severe conditions like meningitis and myocarditis. Building on the success of the poliovirus vaccine, this project focuses on understanding antibody responses to prototype picornaviruses and developing tools to create adaptable vaccine platforms. By identifying protective epitopes and discovering potent monoclonal antibodies, the team aims to advance therapeutic and vaccine solutions, ensuring readiness for future picornavirus outbreaks
LEAD ORGANIZATION/INSTITUTION:
University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill | University of Wisconsin - Madison
VIRUS FAMILY FOCUS:
PROTOTYPE VIRUSES:
- Enterovirus D, Enterovirus A, Enteric Cytopathic Human Orphan Virus, Rhinovirus C
Project 3: Nucleic Acid Vaccines Targeting Hantaviruses
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
This project focuses on developing innovative RNA vaccines to combat Bunyavirales viruses, which pose significant pandemic risks, including hantaviruses like Andes and Sin Nombre. By leveraging advanced RNA vaccine platforms and nanoparticle formulations, the team aims to create effective, stable vaccines that elicit strong protective immune responses. Through preclinical testing and in-depth studies of immune mechanisms, this work lays the foundation for advancing RNA vaccines into clinical trials, strengthening preparedness against emerging viral threats.
LEAD ORGANIZATION/INSTITUTION:
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston | U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
VIRUS FAMILY FOCUS:
PROTOTYPE VIRUSES:
- Sin Nombre Virus, Andes Virus
TEST CASE VIRUSES:
- Hantaan Virus
Project 4: Human Monoclonal Antibodies for Hantaviruses
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
This project focuses on developing long-acting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to protect against hantaviruses, which pose significant epidemic threats. Using advanced antibody discovery techniques, the team will isolate and engineer potent mAbs that neutralize diverse hantaviruses and provide broad, durable immunity. By identifying key viral vulnerabilities and optimizing mAb combinations, this work advances treatments and prepares for future outbreaks of known and emerging hantaviruses
LEAD ORGANIZATION/INSTITUTION:
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
VIRUS FAMILY FOCUS:
PROTOTYPE VIRUSES:
- Sin Nombre Virus, Andes Virus
TEST CASE VIRUSES:
- Hantaan Virus
Project 5: Vaccines and Antibodies for Arenaviruses
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
This project targets arenaviruses like Lassa and Junin, which can cause severe diseases and have pandemic potential. By studying immune responses to vaccines and long-acting monoclonal antibodies in nonhuman primates, the team aims to identify protective mechanisms and develop vaccines and treatments for these viruses. Using lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) as a model, this work lays the groundwork for effective countermeasures against a broad range of arenaviruses, enhancing pandemic preparedness
LEAD ORGANIZATION/INSTITUTION:
Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
VIRUS FAMILY FOCUS:
PROTOTYPE VIRUSES:
- Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus, Lassa Virus
BP4 Cores
Each ReVAMPP Center has an Administrative Core and a Data Management Core. Centers can also have up to three Scientific Cores to support resources and/or facilities that are essential for the collaborative research activities in two or more research projects.
CORE SERVICES:
Administrative
LEAD ORGANIZATION:
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
The BP4 Administrative Core, housed at the Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics, provides essential leadership and coordination for the Bunyavirus and Picornavirus Pandemic Pathogen Preparedness (BP4) Center. By facilitating communication, managing regulatory compliance, and overseeing logistics, the Administrative Core ensures seamless collaboration across research projects, service cores, and the broader BP4 consortium. Its efforts enable efficient operations and integration with the scientific community to advance pandemic preparedness.
CORE SERVICES:
Data Stewardship
LEAD ORGANIZATION:
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
The Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Core is vital to the BP4 Center, providing secure infrastructure for managing, preserving, and sharing scientific data across all research projects and cores. By ensuring adherence to FAIR principles and coordinating data deposits in public repositories, the DMS Core fosters collaboration within the BP4 Center and the broader ReVAMPP network. Additionally, expert biostatistical support enhances the quality and impact of research, driving advancements in pandemic preparednes
CORE SERVICES:
Structure Analysis
LEAD ORGANIZATION:
Purdue University
The BP4 Center focuses on developing vaccines and antibody therapeutics to combat pandemic-potential bunyaviruses and picornaviruses. The Structure Core uses advanced tools like cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography to analyze antigen-antibody interactions, guiding the design of immunogens that elicit optimal protective immune responses. With expertise from Purdue and VUMC, the Core supports collaborative research across projects while ensuring structural data is shared in public repositories to advance scientific discovery.
CORE SERVICES:
Vaccine/Antibody Production
Manufacturing Process Development
LEAD ORGANIZATION:
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
The Vaccine and Therapeutics Technologies (VTT) Core is a key component of the BP4 Center, driving the rapid development of next-generation vaccine and therapeutic antibody candidates. By providing design, production, and quality control services across multiple platforms, including RNA-LNPs, circular RNA, and recombinant proteins, the Core supports all research projects in advancing promising candidates. Through close collaboration with project leaders and technology providers, the VTT Core ensures high-quality, efficient development of vaccines and antibodies, aligning with the BP4 consortium's mission to rapidly respond to emerging viral threats.
CORE SERVICES:
Clinical Sample Procurement
LEAD ORGANIZATION:
University of Alabama at Birmingham | University of Colorado
The Virologic and Immunologic Sample Acquisition Core (VISAC) plays a vital role in pandemic preparedness by collecting specialized biological samples from diverse populations exposed to prototype pathogens. These samples enable the BP4 Center to study immune responses, identify vaccine targets, and develop monoclonal antibody therapeutics to combat emerging viruses. By building a comprehensive biorepository across multiple continents, VISAC supports research efforts to create broadly protective vaccines and treatments, ensuring rapid and effective responses to future viral threats
BP4 Participating Organizations & Institutions
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Purdue University
- The University of Alabama at Birmingham
- The University of Texas Medical Branch
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, San Francisco
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center