Researchers aim to discover dominant subtypes of plasmablasts initiating from the MMR vaccine in order to develop neutralizing antibody candidate therapies

The Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Parse Biosciences today announced a strategic collaboration to generate a single cell atlas focused on understanding the diversity of plasmablasts – early immune cell clonotypes critical in the formation of neutralizing antibodies – for measles, mumps and rubella. This effort aims to build the most comprehensive understanding of the formation of neutralizing antibodies to the vaccine and to identify the dominant and effective antibodies to these infectious agents.

Dr. James Crowe, Director of Vanderbilt's Center for Antibody Therapeutics, will lead the development of the large-scale immune cell study.

“This collaboration enables us to create the largest single cell atlas of neutralizing plasmablasts ever assembled,” states Crowe. “By sequencing and mapping tens of millions of B cell receptors, we can uncover the most potent antibody lineages, accelerating antibody discovery and informing vaccine design. These insights give us a critical edge in responding to both emerging infectious threats and optimizing existing immunization strategies."

Leveraging Parse’s Evercode chemistry, the GigaLab can rapidly produce large single cell datasets, sequencing these immune cells with exceptional granularity at scale.

“We are thrilled to be working with Dr. James Crowe and the Vanderbilt team on such an exciting project,” says Dr. Charlie Roco, Chief Technology Officer at Parse Biosciences. “The speed and scale achieved with the GigaLab will enable us to sequence unprecedented numbers of immune cells present after exposure to these viral antigens. In addition to better understanding the immune diversity, clonal expansion, and antigen specificity of antibodies across a number of diverse patients, these findings may also identify novel therapeutic antibodies.”

About Parse Biosciences

Parse Biosciences is a global life sciences company whose mission is to accelerate progress in human health and scientific research. Empowering researchers to perform single cell sequencing with unprecedented scale and ease, its pioneering approach has enabled groundbreaking discoveries in cancer treatment, tissue repair, stem cell therapy, kidney and liver disease, brain development, and the immune system.

With technology developed at the University of Washington by co-founders Alex Rosenberg and Charles Roco, Parse has raised over $100 million in capital and is used by 3,000 customers across the world. Its growing portfolio of products includes Evercode™ Whole Transcriptome, Evercode™ TCR, Evercode™ BCR, Gene Select, and a solution for data analysis, Trailmaker™.

Parse Biosciences is based in Seattle’s vibrant South Lake Union district, where it recently expanded into a new headquarters and state-of-the-art laboratory. To learn more, please visit https://www.parsebiosciences.com/.

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“This collaboration enables us to create the largest single cell atlas of neutralizing plasmablasts ever assembled,” states James Crowe, Director of Vanderbilt's Center for Antibody Therapeutics.