Oxford University has announced the launch of a groundbreaking £118 million ($169.6 million) vaccine research program that combines artificial intelligence with advanced immunology to tackle antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The initiative, funded by tech billionaire Larry Ellison's Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), represents what researchers describe as "a new frontier in vaccine science."
Targeting Deadly Bacterial Pathogens
The CoI-AI (Correlates of Immunity-Artificial Intelligence) program will focus on understanding the immune system's response to pathogens that cause severe infections and contribute to antibiotic resistance, specifically targeting Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and E. coli. These bacteria are responsible for widespread illnesses and have proven challenging for traditional vaccine development strategies.
Led by Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group who previously ran the trials for COVID-19 vaccines, the research will employ human challenge models where volunteers are safely exposed to specific bacteria under controlled conditions. Researchers will then apply modern immunology techniques and AI tools to identify immune responses that correlate with protection.
"This program addresses one of the most urgent problems in infectious disease by helping us to understand immunity more deeply to develop innovative vaccines against deadly diseases that have so far evaded our attempts at prevention," Pollard stated. "By combining advanced immunology with artificial intelligence, and using human challenge models to study diseases, CoI-AI will provide the tools we need to tackle serious infections and reduce the growing threat of antibiotic resistance."
Strategic Partnership and Technology Integration
The program builds on a strategic alliance formalized between Oxford University and EIT in December 2024, encompassing multiple disciplines including generative biology, clinical medicine, plant science, sustainable energy, and public policy. The collaboration integrates Oxford's expertise in human challenge studies, immune science, and vaccine development with EIT's advancements in AI technology.
EIT chairman Larry Ellison emphasized the transformative potential of the approach: "Researchers in the CoI-AI programme will use artificial intelligence models developed at EIT to identify and better understand the immune responses that predict protection. This vaccine development programme combines Oxford's leadership in immunology and human challenge models with cutting-edge AI, laying the groundwork for a new era of vaccine discovery – one that is faster, smarter and better able to respond to infectious disease outbreaks throughout the world."
Infrastructure and Timeline
The research initiative is supported by computational resources provided by Oracle, including a dedicated AI team and a scholars program designed to cultivate the next generation of scientists. EIT, established in 2023 with plans for a £1 billion investment, is set to open its Oxford campus in 2027, which will provide research labs and computing capacity for the program.
The Oxford Vaccine Group, operating within the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Oxford's Medical Sciences Division, will lead the research efforts. The program comes at a time when concerns about vaccine science are mounting, with Pollard expressing "huge concern" that debates surrounding vaccines threaten tools that protect millions of children's lives, describing vaccines as "one of the greatest tools ever" being "undermined by poor science and misinformation."
