Accelerating vaccine development and deployment: report of a Royal Society satellite meeting.

The Royal Society convened a meeting on the 17th and 18th November 2010 to review the current ways in which vaccines are developed and deployed, and to make recommendations as to how each of these processes might be accelerated. The meeting brought together academics, industry representatives, research sponsors, regulators, government advisors and representatives of international public health agencies from a broad geographical background. Discussions were held under Chatham House rules. High-throughput screening of new vaccine antigens and candidates was seen as a driving force for vaccine discovery. Multi-stakeholder, small-scale manufacturing facilities capable of rapid production of clinical grade vaccines are currently too few and need to be expanded. In both the human and veterinary areas, there is a need for tiered regulatory standards, differentially tailored for experimental and commercial vaccines, to allow accelerated vaccine efficacy testing. Improved cross-fertilization of knowledge between industry and academia, and between human and veterinary vaccine developers, could lead to more rapid application of promising approaches and technologies to new product development. Identification of best-practices and development of checklists for product development plans and implementation programmes were seen as low-cost opportunities to shorten the timeline for vaccine progression from the laboratory bench to the people who need it

ΦCrAss001 represents the most abundant bacteriophage family in the human gut and infects Bacteroides intestinalis

peer-reviewedCrAssphages are an extensive and ubiquitous family of tailed bacteriophages, predicted to infect bacteria of the order Bacteroidales. Despite being found in ~50% of individuals and representing up to 90% of human gut viromes, members of this viral family have never been isolated in culture and remain understudied. Here, we report the isolation of a CrAssphage (ΦCrAss001) from human faecal material. This bacteriophage infects the human gut symbiont Bacteroides intestinalis, confirming previous in silico predictions of the likely host. DNA sequencing demonstrates that the bacteriophage genome is circular, 102 kb in size, and has unusual structural traits. In addition, electron microscopy confirms that ΦcrAss001 has a podovirus-like morphology. Despite the absence of obvious lysogeny genes, ΦcrAss001 replicates in a way that does not disrupt proliferation of the host bacterium, and is able to maintain itself in continuous host culture during several weeks

Single- and double-scattering production of four muons in ultraperipheral PbPb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider

We discuss production of two $\mu^+\mu^-$ pairs in ultraperipheral ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions at the LHC. We take into account electromagnetic (two-photon) double-scattering production and for a first time direct $\gamma\gamma$ production of four muons in one scattering. We study the unexplored process $\gamma \gamma \to \mu^+\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-$. We present predictions for total and differential cross sections. Measurable nuclear cross sections are obtained and corresponding differential distributions and counting rates are presented.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, 1 tabl

The world economy [June 1988]

Growth in the world economy appears to be continuing at a brisk rate. Recent forecasts suggest that output should expand by about 3% this year compared with 3.IX in 1987. The outlook therefore appears to be more favourable than when we last reported; a reflection of the limited impact to date of the October stock market crash. Some progress has been made in adjusting the key trade imbalances but progress remains slow

The Scottish economy [September 1989]

[Abstract unavailable

The Scottish economy [June 1988]

With the delay in the publication of this quarter's Commentary it should be borne in mind that responses to both the Scottish Chamber's Business Survey (SCBS) and CBI surveys now refer to developments of two months ago. Accordingly, responses do not take account of, or could reasonably be assumed to have anticipated, the recent increases in nominal interest rates and the depreciation of sterling

The British economy [June 1988]

The rate of growth of output in the British economy appears to be slowing down in line with earlier expectations for 1988. The rate of growth of domestic demand remains strong. Manufacturing investment is forecast to rise to record levels during 1988 and there is little evidence that the growth in consumer demand is slackening. The slow-down in the rate of growth is therefore largely a reflection of decline in the external demand for exports and buoyant import growth. The progressive upward movement of sterling in recent months and the evidence of increasing inflationary pressure, has placed the Government in a significant policy dilemma. Recent events are a clear illustration that interest rate policy cannot be used both to target the exchange rate and to regulate the expansion of domestic money and credit

The British economy [March 1988]

Growth in the British economy continues at a high rate. To date there is little evidence that the collapse of share prices in October has had much effect on consumer demand or on business confidence. The expected decline in the UK growth rate during 1988 is likely to prevent any occurence of the symptoms of overheating which were evident before the events of last October. Further significant deterioration in the balance of payments is to be expected this year. The size of the deterioration and the extent of downward pressure on the exchange rate will in part depend on the degree to which the economy can contain incipient cost inflationary pressures

The British economy [November 1987]

The British economy continues to grow strongly at a rate in excess of other major industrial countries. However, future prospects have been considerably clouded following the dramatic collapse of share prices in the world's major financial centres. The outlook for 1988 and beyond is likely to be heavily influenced by developments elsewhere in the world economy

The world economy [March 1988]

The outlook for the world economy is, on balance, probably more favourable than when we last reported in November: a further significant deterioration in equity prices has been avoided and business confidence appears to be holding up well. World economic growth will be lower in 1988 than would have been the case but there appears a good chance that recession can be avoided. The key to future exchange rate stability and the maintenance of business confidence in the world economy rests on the progress being made in the US, Japan and West Germany in introducing domestic macro-economic policies to remove the continuing financial imbalances. West Germany's weakening resolve in this connection is a major cause for concern