Dr Laura Roßmann received the Award for the Advancement of Science from the Biologischer Verein e.V. (Biology Society) on 13 December 2021. She was recognised for her research on the effects of vaccine adjuvants on innate and adaptive immune responses. Dr Roßmann researched adjuvant-specific immune signatures, which can drive the development of new vaccines forward and make a positive contribution to the benefit-risk assessment during the drug authorisation process. The signatures could also support the selection of appropriate adjuvants during new vaccine development. Roßmann adjusted the project to meet the challenges presented by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by also studying the effects of mRNA vaccines on immune cells. mRNA vaccines do not require the addition of an adjuvant, as these vaccines already contain immunity-boosting properties.
Professor Ger van Zandbergen, Professor Zoe Waibler (Board of the Biological Society), Dr Laura Roßmann (Award Winner), Dr Gerrit Praefcke (Chair)
On 13 December 2021, Dr Laura Roßmann received the 2021 Award for the Advancement of Science from the Biological Society (Förderpreis des Biologischen Vereins e.V.) for her research on the effects of vaccine adjuvants on innate and adaptive immune responses. Dr Roßmann completed this research during the course of her doctoral thesis in the Immunology Division under the supervision of Professor Ger van Zandbergen. Her work was part of a research project led by the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut. The project team analysed the wide array of effects that various vaccine adjuvants have on immune cells using a model consisting of cultured human immune cells.
Roßmann’s PhD thesis compared the effects of various classes of adjuvants that differ in their chemical composition. The wide spectrum of study parameters included: the expression of cell surface markers, the release of messenger substances, the activation and reproduction of immune cells, and the establishment of a specific cellular immune defence.
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Dr Roßmann’s important research will help to generate new findings on the effects of vaccines containing adjuvants on immune cells and to make reliable assessments of new forms of adjuvants,"
stated Professor Ger van Zandbergen, head of the Immunology Division. "This new knowledge can be very helpful for the development of vaccines and in regulatory control as well,"
remarked Dr Gerrit Praefcke, chair of the Biologischer Verein. Dr Roßmann’s recognition is in line with the association’s aim to support the advancement of experimental research, which can lead to findings that are beneficial for the medical field.
Vaccines train the body’s immune system to be faster and more efficient at recognising and combatting future infections, thereby preventing or reducing the severity of illness. Ideally, the immune reaction achieved is sufficient to prevent any infection in the vaccinated individual. Adjuvants, which increase a vaccine’s efficacy, are used in some vaccines to help reach adequate immune protection. Adjuvants trigger a non-specific stimulation of the immune system, which supports the development of specific antibodies against the simultaneously administered vaccine antigen. Whole virus, subunit, and protein vaccines against viral infectious diseases require the addition of adjuvants. However, adjuvants can also increase the severity of short-term vaccine reactions such as redness, swelling, and pain at the injection site along with fever, headache, and joint pain. Additionally, some adjuvants have been suggested to cause very rare adverse side effects.
Founded by the local Frankfurt doctor Ferdinand Blum in December 1909, the Biological Society (Biologischer Verein e.V.) has had a long and eventful history as a scientific association.
Its aim is to support the advancement of science and research in the field of biology, particularly experimental research. The resulting findings can lead to useful applications in the medical or pharmaceutical fields.
The association offers a wide range of science-focused events and initiatives to members and the public.
The Biologischer Verein e.V. has longstanding, close working relationships with the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut and the chemotherapeutic research institute (Chemotherapeutisches Forschungsinstitut) Georg-Speyer-Haus.
Comparison of Vaccine Adjuvants – Notable Differences in their Effect and Potency
Updated: 17.12.2021
