dc.contributor.author | Rioux, Melissa L. | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-12-22T18:51:26Z | |
dc.date.available | 2021-12-22T18:51:26Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021-12-22T18:51:26Z | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10222/81149 | |
dc.description.abstract | Improvements to public health strategies surrounding vaccination against mutating respiratory pathogens requires a more in-depth understanding of the host factors driving viral evolution. In this thesis, I used informatic pipelines to investigate the impact of specific host immunity on viral mutation across influenza virus proteins and antigenic differences in the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins across circulating variants. Using a mouse model of previous influenza virus infection and vaccination, I characterized viral mutations present in the lungs of mice at heterologous challenge and found that strain-specific immune responses facilitated the greatest degree of mutation. My in-silico analysis of SARS-CoV-2 antigenicity suggested changes in B cell epitopes and conservation of T cell epitopes. I propose that the infection and vaccination history of the host dictates the capacity for viral mutation at infection through elicitation of specific immune mechanisms. Additionally, I present an analysis pipeline that could be leveraged in next-generation vaccine design against respiratory viruses. | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.subject | virus | en_US |
dc.subject | mouse model | en_US |
dc.subject | evolution | en_US |
dc.subject | influenza | en_US |
dc.subject | mutation | en_US |
dc.subject | coronavirus | en_US |
dc.title | THE INTERSECTION OF HOST IMMUNITY AND VIRAL EVOLUTION: SPECIFIC AND NON-SPECIFIC HOST IMMUNE PRESSURES HAVE DIFFERENTIAL INFLUENCES ON INFLUENZA VIRUS AND SARS-COV-2 ANTIGENIC CHANGES | en_US |
dc.date.defence | 2021-12-06 | |
dc.contributor.department | Department of Microbiology & Immunology | en_US |
dc.contributor.degree | Master of Science | en_US |
dc.contributor.external-examiner | Dr. Scott Napper | en_US |
dc.contributor.graduate-coordinator | Dr. Zhenyu Cheng | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-reader | Dr. Francesca Di Cara | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-reader | Dr. Jean Marshall | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-reader | Dr. Joanne Langley | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-supervisor | Dr. Alyson Kelvin | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-supervisor | Dr. Christopher Richardson | en_US |
dc.contributor.ethics-approval | Received | en_US |
dc.contributor.manuscripts | Not Applicable | en_US |
dc.contributor.copyright-release | Not Applicable | en_US |