Exploiting fungus growth for rapid and affordable vaccine development

19 March 2025; OSLO; SIENA: New research led by a team of scientists in Italy will explore whether disease-fighting antigens produced in a type of fungus could accelerate how quickly protein-based vaccines are developed, helping to contain future outbreaks faster and more equitably.   

CEPI is providing US$4.5 million to non-profit Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena (FBS) for proof-of-concept research that will explore whether producing antigens in C1 filamentous fungus—applying technology owned by Dyadic International (Nasdaq:DYAI)—is a faster and cost-effective alternative to the more established route of producing antigens in mammalian cells.  

While producing protein antigens in mammalian cells is an effective way of developing protein-based vaccines, the process can take four to six months. This is because they require the creation of a stable cell line—cells engineered to consistently produce the target vaccine protein—which involves extensive testing. In contrast, a C1 fungus cell line could be used to rapidly produce a pool of cells that generate the same quality vaccine protein without the need for such time-consuming testing, enabling faster protein production. This project could slash the development time for vaccine production and release to just 35 days, helping vaccines to enter Phase 1 trials much sooner. 

The researchers also hope that the C1 fungus technology will produce large quantities of proteins which can be easily scaled, with a reduced need for complex or expensive biopharmaceutical facilities compared to those required for mammalian cell cultures. This affordability means the technology would be suitable for transfer to regional manufacturing, where vaccine manufacturing infrastructure may be less established, helping to meet local needs in support of greater access.  

The CEPI-FBS partnership supports the 100 Days Mission—a goal embraced by leaders of the G7 and G20 to reduce vaccine development timelines to a little over three months in response to a pandemic threat. 

Dr Raafat Fahim, Interim Executive Director of Manufacturing and Supply Chain, CEPI, said, “Protein-based vaccines play a crucial role in combating emerging infectious diseases. However, the current manufacturing processes for producing these vaccines can be both costly and time-consuming. By leveraging the growth capabilities of fungi, we can potentially produce the necessary proteins up to four to six times faster than traditional methods. This would accelerate the transition of promising vaccine candidates into clinical trials and enable faster large-scale production during emergencies. The flexibility, speed, and affordability of this fungal-based approach make it especially valuable in outbreak situations where time is of the essence.”  

Prof. Rino Rappuoli , Scientific Director FBS, said: “There is a huge need for new technology platforms that can deliver vaccines that can be produced rapidly,  that can be affordable for every person of the planet, that can easily be stored in refrigerators,  and that can be rapidly scaled to billions of doses. The collaboration with CEPI allows the Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena to work on a technology that has the potential to deliver this type of vaccine. It is a great honour to be able to be part of a global network dedicated to the preparedness against future epidemics and pandemics. We will face many important health challenges, and thanks to this innovative technology, we will put all our effort into finding solutions to overcome them, including in low- and middle-income countries”.  

Mark Emalfarb, CEO, DYADIC INTERNATIONAL, said: “We are grateful for CEPI’s funding and the support of Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, led by Dr. Rino Rappuoli, in advancing Dyadic’s C1 platform for faster, more affordable vaccines and treatments. This funding accelerates C1’s development for pandemic preparedness through a One Health approach, reducing costs, increasing productivity, and improving global vaccine access. With CEPI’s support, we aim to prevent zoonotic outbreaks and strengthen global health security. But to fully realise these benefits, policymakers must act now, as CEPI urges, before the next pandemic strikes—proactive investment is critical to safeguarding human and animal health.” 

Specifically, CEPI’s funding will seek to produce a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein—an antigen that trains the immune system to recognise and fight off the virus—using both the innovative C1 fungus and the more traditional mammalian cell approach. Researchers will then compare the two to see if the antigen produced by the C1 fungus is comparable in structure and immunogenicity to those produced in mammalian cells.  

If successful, the next phase of the project will focus on selecting an antigen from a pathogen of interest to CEPI. This will be used for development and to demonstrate a reduced timeline for vaccine development.  

Commitment to equitable access 

Enabling global equitable access to vaccines is central to CEPI’s work and at the heart of the 100 Days Mission. Innovations that accelerate the speed and scaling up of vaccine manufacturing will make a vital contribution to access when facing a future novel infectious disease by reducing the period during which vaccines against new pathogens are in short supply, thereby significantly increasing the prospects for more equitable distribution. 

CEPI and FBS are committed to enabling equitable access to the outputs of this CEPI-supported programme, in line with CEPI’s Equitable Access Policy. This ultimately includes a commitment to vaccines being available first to populations at risk when and where they are needed at an affordable price should a related vaccine be developed further using CEPI funding. Project results, including data generated as part of this project, will be published open access for the benefit of the global scientific community. 

—ENDS— 

About CEPI 

CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic and civil organisations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. CEPI has supported the development of more than 50 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens or a future Disease X. Central to CEPI’s pandemic-beating five-year plan for 2022-2026 is the ‘100 Days Mission’ to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days. 

About FBS  

Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena (FBS) is a nonprofit, private legal entity with registered office and operational headquarters in Siena. The founding members include the Ministry of Universities and Research, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy. FBS is a strategic national project that aims to develop applied research and innovation in the field of biotechnologies and life sciences. The FBS mission is focused on the research, development and production of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of pandemics and emerging infectious diseases.