New malaria vaccines based on merozoite surface protein 2

The work in this thesis details the design of new malaria vaccine candidates based on blood-stage antigen merozoite surface protein 2 (MSP2). Structural biology and vaccine design were combined in the emerging field of structural vaccinology and applied to the intrinsically disordered protein. Using crystal structures of antibody-bound epitopes, novel peptide immunogens were designed for animal immunisations. The results of this work provide a promising platform for further development of broadly protective MSP2-based malaria vaccine candidates and may expand our understanding of the immune response towards other disordered antigens.