Student wants backing for her work to take inexpensive heat-resistant vaccine to market
An Abu Dhabi student is developing a cost-effective vaccine that can be taken to remote areas without being damaged by searing heat.
High temperatures can cause vaccines to lose their ability to provide protection against diseases, rendering them ineffective in parts of the world where they are needed.
Now Marieh Al Handawi, a Syrian global PhD chemistry student at NYU Abu Dhabi, is developing a cost-effective vaccine that can be taken to all corners of the globe without losing its efficacy.
Ms Al Handawi was inspired by nature to use a common chemical to protect the vaccines. She embeds the vaccine with calcium carbonate, which stabilises the vaccine even in extreme heat. Calcium carbonate is used as a supplement for calcium deficiency and is very cheap.
“What makes our research unique is the fact that we are using inorganic crystals that are very cheap,” she said. “They are very safe for human consumption.”
The researcher was inspired by the way nature uses calcium carbonate to protect itself. Seashells are made of calcium carbonate.
“We take these bioparticles and embed them inside calcium carbonate crystals,” Ms Al Handawi said. “We surround the bioparticles with an armour so that it’s protected from the harsh environment.”
She is calling for sponsors, such as pharmaceutical companies and government bodies, to provide support and funding to take her research to the next stage.
The system used for keeping and distributing vaccines in high temperatures is called the cold chain. Vaccines are sent directly from the supplier to countries as refrigerated cargo.
The vaccines are then moved to freezer rooms and from there delivered by a refrigerated vehicle. Cold boxes and vaccine carriers are used to distribute the vaccine.
Ms Al Handawi believes she can shorten this chain and offer a more cost-effective alternative.
“If my research is proven to be successful, we could eliminate some part of the cold chain,” she said. “The cold chain is a very expensive process and requires a lot of delicate care.
“I believe that we can save money and energy through this and it will help to get vaccines to people in remote areas. We need people to fund us so we can continue the research.”
Pance Naumov, associate professor of chemistry at the university and mentor to Ms Al Handawi, said it was often in the interest of pharmaceutical companies to keep vaccine prices high.
“Pharmaceutical companies like to make a profit and they don’t always go with the cheapest solution,” Mr Naumov said. “They make a product that can only be used in certain conditions.
“We want to make a very simple, cheap method to transport the medicine to the people who can’t afford to pay high prices to the pharmaceutical companies.
“Our achievement is that we have been able to demonstrate that calcium carbonate can stabilise big molecules. We need to incorporate big molecules that will cover many different diseases.
“For us to continue this research, we will need sponsorship from the government or funding agencies. We hope we can get funding and take it to the next level.
“UAE and other countries in the region have a strong incentive to sponsor this project, especially because we live in an arid environment. A large part of the population here lives outside of the big cities.
“Once the principle is demonstrated it can be taken forward and we can tackle different diseases particular to this part of the world.”