Professor Emeritus Ed Rybicki
Affiliations
- Full Member, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
- Emeritus Director URC Biopharming Research Unit
- Emeritus Professor in Microbiology, Molecular and Cell, Biology Department, Faculty of Science
Key Expertise
Cervical Cancer, HIV, SARS-CoV-2, Vaccine Design, Vaccine Development
Main Research Focus
Ed Rybicki’s main research interests are presently in the area of vaccine biotechnology, and in developing mainly plant expression systems as platforms for the production of a wider range of proteins. His expertise includes vaccine and viral biotechnology. Novel human papillomavirus and rotavirus and human pandemic and avian influenza virus vaccine candidates have been made in plants via transient expression; the group is further investigating the potential of plants to make Rift Valley and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus and bluetongue virus vaccines and reagents; diversity studies and vaccine development for beak and feather disease virus of parrots, and making molecular diagnostics.
Most Significant Paper Authored in 2024
Ecological roles of nano-picoplankton in stratified waters of an embayment in the southern Benguela
Dames, N. R., Rocke, E., Pitcher, G., Rybicki, E., Pfaff, M., & Moloney, C. L. (2024)
This study showed that nano-picoplankton dynamics were driven by light availability, nutrient concentrations, carbon biomass, and oxygenation. The nano-picoplankton help sustain ecosystem functioning in St Helena Bay through their ecological roles, which emphasizes the need to monitor this size fraction of the plankton.