Ortega Flores, Claudia Karina

Research interests

Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a highly damaging pathogen for pig farming in Uruguay and worldwide, causing weight loss, diarrhea, pneumonia, abortions, and premature births, among other pathologies in pigs, resulting in significant economic losses. Despite the availability of vaccines, the virus persistently infects more than 12% of the world's pig population.
Traditional immunization strategies based on linear epitopes show low effectiveness and are probably associated with the continuous emergence of new variants. Moreover, the recent identification of new PCV types 3 and 4 capable of infecting livestock of other species highlights the relevance of the problem.
To address this issue, a project will implement a high-yield viral particle production protocol based on mammalian cell technology. Computational methods will be used to design mutations that stabilize protein-protein interactions determining the assembly of Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) without modifying their external surface. The VLPs will be characterized biochemically,
biophysically, and immunologically to find the best possible candidate and obtain super-stable VLPs to be used as vaccine prototypes.
The tool will enable the simple and efficient introduction of mutations on the external surface emulating new emerging variants or combining the particles as molecular scaffolds with adaptable immunogenic epitopes, mimicking the external surface of the variants and/or combining them with antigens from microorganisms associated with PCV2-induced pathologies. The
project aims to develop a bioprocess for vaccine production, including the transfer of biotechnology to efficiently respond to the emergence of new Circovirus strains. Overall, this project aims to provide a solution to the persistent and evolving threat posed by PCV2 to pig farming and the economic sustainability of the industry.

Working area

Natural and Exact Sciences
Biological Sciences
Virology
Biotechnology
Human and Animal Health