Andrew Hayhurst, Ph.D.
The Hayhurst laboratory works on selected Tier 1 biothreat agents and develops novel antibody engineering approaches to find new routes to detect and inhibit pathogens. Using live agent selections, his team develops antibodies that can recognize native biothreat antigens in a highly specific and sensitive manner. These antibodies are rugged enough for transition to biosensors and field portable diagnostics to withstand very harsh conditions, (e.g. in resource-poor areas of the world with limited electricity and refrigeration).
His lab has developed llama single domain antibodies (sdAb) specific for Ebola virus and Marburg virus, two viruses that cause hemorrhagic fever and a very high mortality rate.
Dr. Hayhurst and his team also developed an assay to recognize all serotypes of the botulinum neurotoxin, one of the most poisonous substances currently known.
The redesign of the surfaces of microbes allows us to “educate” them to perform simple tasks of interest to therapeutic and nanotechnology communities and is a recent focus of the Hayhurst lab.
- Ebola virus
- Marburg virus
- Botulinum neurotoxins
- Novel cancer therapeutics
- Nanotechnology
Dr. Hayhurst contributes more than 20 years of experience in microbiology and antibody engineering.