Alexandra Schäfer
alexschaefer.bsky.social
Alexandra Schäfer
@alexschaefer.bsky.social
Virologist | AssocProf @ UNC | 🇩🇪🇪🇺🇺🇸 in 🇺🇸 | 🐕🐈🐈‍⬛ | coffee, chilis, legumes, olives | history, crochet, birds, ukelele | 80s/90s/00s alternative music
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
🚨 new paper alert 🚨

Here, we describe and evaluate a "best-of-both-worlds" vaccine technology platform that combines the benefits of mRNA vaccines and computationally designed protein nanoparticle immunogens: bit.ly/47s7btG.
Computationally designed mRNA-launched protein nanoparticle immunogens elicit protective antibody and T cell responses in mice
Genetic delivery of designed protein nanoparticles displaying the SARS-CoV-2 RBD elicits potent neutralizing antibody and CD8 T cell responses.
bit.ly
October 15, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
Excited to share our study reporting the first Sin Nombre virus (SNV) genome sequences from the Northwestern U.S., and the first ever from a vole host.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
First Sin Nombre virus (Orthohantavirus sinnombreense) genome sequences from the Northwestern United States
We report the first Sin Nombre virus (SNV) genome sequences from the Northwestern United States and the first SNV sequences recovered from voles. Analysis of samples collected from 189 individual rode...
www.biorxiv.org
September 17, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
Hayashi et al. demonstrate that human touch-induced pleasurable tickling promotes affinity between rats and human hands. This is accompanied by increased OTR expression in the VMHvl, and blocking the oxytocin signaling inhibits such affinity. Find out more here: www.cell.com/current-biol...
Oxytocin facilitates human touch-induced play behavior in rats
Hayashi et al. demonstrate that human touch-induced pleasurable tickling promotes affinity between rats and human hands. This is accompanied by increased OTR expression in the VMHvl, and blocking the ...
www.cell.com
July 1, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
A paper from our pancoronavirus vaccine P01 grant group is now out in Science Translational Medicine.

Here we show that non-stabilized spike delivered as mRNA is sufficient to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies in monkeys.

@alexschaefer.bsky.social

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Nonstabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccination induces broadly neutralizing antibodies in nonhuman primates
Nonstabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccination elicited distinct antibodies to either Omicron variants of concern or preemergent sarbecoviruses.
www.science.org
June 12, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that today wasn’t friday
June 6, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
Our study screening the majority of all published Merbecovirus RBD’s for cell entry phenotypes is now published in Nature Communications!
(1/5)
shorturl.at/gYz4E
ACE2 from Pipistrellus abramus bats is a receptor for HKU5 coronaviruses - Nature Communications
This work shows that receptor use in merbecovirus is clade-specific by clustering them into clades based on the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of their spike proteins. While MERS-CoV and its close rela...
shorturl.at
May 28, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
A new study may have uncovered exactly what makes orange cats special: cnn.it/3FaYuJc
What’s so special about orange cats? Turns out they’re freaks of nature | CNN
Researchers identified an unusual genetic mutation in orange domestic cats that has not been found in any other animal, according to a new study.
cnn.it
May 25, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
Delighted to share our most recent work on designing broadly protective sarbecovirus vaccines and defining the path forward for other coronaviruses.

Led by @aminaddetia.bsky.social

@hhmi.org

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Phylogeny-driven design of broadly protective sarbecovirus receptor-binding domain nanoparticle vaccines
Vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and sarbecoviruses with pandemic potential must elicit a robust humoral immune response in a population imprinted with the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. H...
www.biorxiv.org
May 14, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
Researchers in #ScienceAdvances have discovered a genetic footprint that helps explain herding dogs’ mental acuity and keen social skills. scim.ag/3RO3RRd
Genomic evidence for behavioral adaptation of herding dogs
The whole-genome sequences of herding dogs reveal how selection has sculpted the unique behavioral traits.
scim.ag
May 6, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people.

Be strong, be brave, be fearless.
You are never alone, dear President Zelenskyy.

We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.
February 28, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
Saved from death in the paper grave yard! Started in 2016. MERS-CoV infects epithelial cells, they die, pathology is wicked bad. Adaptive immune cells both control replication and drive pathogenesis. #coronavirus #MERSCoV #pathogenesis #LoveVirology #viruses #virus journals.asm.org/eprint/ZZEIT...
Dysregulation of lung epithelial cell homeostasis and immunity contributes to Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease severity | mSphere
Emerging coronaviruses like SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV cause a range of disease outcomes in humans from an asymptomatic, moderate, and severe respiratory disease that can progress to death but...
journals.asm.org
January 30, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
Welcome immigrants from X interested in science to the friendlier skies of @bsky.app, as documented by a new @nature.com survey (but you already knew that 😉)
"Bluesky is much better for science. There is much less toxicity, misinformation, and distractions."
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
January 24, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
Researchers challenged longhorn crazy ants and humans with the same task: maneuvering a T-shaped object through two consecutive open doorways. Single humans always outperformed single ants, but ant groups could beat human groups. In PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
December 27, 2024 at 9:03 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
So much needed!! Great Review in STM from @alexschaefer.bsky.social and colleagues!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Animal models of Long Covid: A hit-and-run disease
Animal models will inform our understanding of Long Covid and will aid in identifying therapeutic targets.
www.science.org
November 17, 2024 at 12:35 AM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer
Our paper describing a ferritin nanoparticle RBD vaccine that protects mice against #SARSCoV and #MERSCoV and neutralizes highly mutated #SARSCoV2 #VOCs is out in #CellReports

Team effort with #TheDHVI @alexschaefer.bsky.social

thread👇🏼
Vaccine-mediated protection against Merbecovirus and Sarbecovirus challenge in mice
Martinez et al. demonstrate proof of concept that a single ferritin nanoparticle vaccine displaying the receptor-binding domains of MERS-related and SARS-related zoonotic, epidemic, and pandemic coro...
www.cell.com
October 18, 2023 at 5:51 PM
Reposted by Alexandra Schäfer