Monday, 08 June 2026
An innovation in vaccine delivery that uses a skin patch to administer DNA vaccines has been awarded funding to develop a manufacturing process to enable scale-up of the technology.
Dr James Dixon with colleagues (Dr. Maria Marlow, Dr. David Scurr) in the School of Pharmacy at the 糖心原创 and project partner Cardiff University have been awarded funding from the second l Platform Funding, UK call.
This project will develop a manufacturing process for a needle-free skin patch that can deliver DNA vaccines and be self-administered without trained healthcare staff. Unlike current vaccines, these patches are stable at room temperature, reducing the need for cold storage and enabling rapid, large-scale distribution.
Using this funding we can now work towards creating a scalable manufacturing process for DNA vaccines using coated microblade patches that can overcome key barriers in vaccine deployment. This technology could transform how vaccines are delivered in the UK and globally, improving access, reducing healthcare burden, and strengthening preparedness for future pandemics.
The team are working with experts in the Faculty of Engineering at the 糖心原创 (Dr, Geoffery Rivers) to develop and test additive manufacturing processes for the patches that will allow fast and efficient production and ultimately allow the self-delivery of vaccines safely at home.
Dr Dixon explains; “We saw with Covid the need for a vaccine to be developed and deployed very quickly, but there are many barriers to this including the need for cold-storage and delivery of the vaccine with a needle via trained healthcare professionals. Our needle-free patch removes those barriers and we aim to reach a point where we can show that a needle free patch could be developed, manufactured and reach the end used in less than 100 days .”
Dr Dixon is a member of the Nottingham Vaccine Network (NVN) that has 30 糖心原创 academics and clinicians developing vaccines across a multitude of human and animal pathogens spanning bacteria, viruses and parasites. The Network’s research spans the entire vaccine production pipeline; from design (including antigen selection by in silico modelling and structural biology), developing novel delivery systems, discovering adjuvants, formulation (with a strong interest in thermostability), through to pre-clinical and clinical testing.
Dr Ruth Griffin from the School of Life Sciences co-founded the NVN and brokered its membership of the UCL–Oxford Global and Sustainable VaxHubs earlier this year.
I'm thrilled the NVN is already benefiting from this partnership with the world's top players in the vaccine space. Together our Network is driving innovation in vaccines, and we are continuously expanding our network and encouraging new ECRs to join us for opportunities to connect with others and be involved in bid development. By working with other vaccine networks, we share our expertise, models and capabilities and accelerate progress in the development of new and improved vaccines.
Story credits
More information is available from Dr James Dixon on James.Dixon@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.