Uri Elia

Dr. Uri Elia is a researcher in the field of mRNA vaccine development, with a focus on lipid nanoparticle (LNP) - mediated delivery systems for vaccination against infectious diseases. He conducted his PhD research in the laboratory of Prof. Dan Peer at Tel Aviv University, where his work explored how rational design of both lipid formulations and encoded antigens critically shapes in vivo antigen expression and the resulting immune response. His work addressed a major gap in the mRNA vaccine field: protection against bacterial infections. Due to the distinct biological properties of bacterial antigens, this effort required extensive antigen and formulation optimization. Using the highly virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis (the causative agent of plague) as a model pathogen, he designed multiple mRNA constructs encoding major Y. pestis antigens and demonstrated full protective immunity following vaccination. This work provided early evidence that LNP-mRNA vaccines can confer protection against highly pathogenic bacterial agents. Overall, his work highlights the pivotal role of antigen engineering in enabling effective mRNA vaccines against bacterial pathogens, opening new avenues for prophylactic strategies against diverse infectious diseases.