Life & Health Sciences
Immunology and vaccines research: journals, data, standards and funders
Immunology and vaccine research is organised around a small set of shared journals, societies, reference databases and safety systems. The American Association of Immunologists, founded in 1913, has over 7,700 members and publishes The Journal of Immunology and ImmunoHorizons; the International Union of Immunological Societies, founded in 1969, is the umbrella body for national societies and runs standing committees on nomenclature and on inborn errors of immunity. Review and research journals include Nature Reviews Immunology, Immunity and, for vaccines, the Elsevier journal Vaccine.
Reference data is specialised. IMGT is the international information system for immunoglobulin and T cell receptor genes, with a nomenclature covering 42 species. The Immune Epitope Database, hosted at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology and funded by NIAID, collects antibody and T cell epitope data. Flow cytometry, the field's workhorse method, is governed by ISAC standards: the FCS file format, Gating-ML and the MIFlowCyt reporting standard. Receptor-sequencing studies follow the AIRR Community's MiAIRR standard. Preprints go to bioRxiv, launched in 2013, and medRxiv, launched in 2019.
Vaccine work adds regulatory and safety infrastructure. In the US, FDA's CBER oversees biologics licensing through the Biologics License Application. Post-licensure safety signals come from VAERS, a passive reporting system co-managed by CDC and FDA since 1990, and from the Vaccine Safety Datalink, which analyses electronic health records weekly. The Brighton Collaboration supplies standardised adverse-event case definitions. Major funders and programmes include NIAID and its Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation, CEPI for epidemic vaccines and Gavi, founded in 2000. Sub-field specifics are covered on the specialization pages.
New to the field? What is Immunology & Vaccines? →
Reviewed 5 November 2026 by CASRAI Editorial Board
- The Journal of Immunology(read 5 November 2026)
- Immunity(read 5 November 2026)
- Nature Reviews Immunology(read 5 November 2026)
- Vaccine(read 5 November 2026)
- American Association of Immunologists (AAI)(read 5 November 2026)
- International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS)(read 5 November 2026)
- European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)(read 5 November 2026)
- NIAID and its Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation(read 5 November 2026)
- CEPI(read 5 November 2026)
- Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance(read 5 November 2026)
- IMGT(read 5 November 2026)
- Immune Epitope Database (IEDB)(read 5 November 2026)
- VAERS(read 5 November 2026)
- Vaccine Safety Datalink(read 5 November 2026)
- ISAC data standards: FCS, Gating-ML, MIFlowCyt(read 5 November 2026)
- MiAIRR and AIRR Community standards(read 5 November 2026)
- Brighton Collaboration case definitions(read 5 November 2026)
- FDA CBER Biologics License Application(read 5 November 2026)
- bioRxiv(read 5 November 2026)
- medRxiv(read 5 November 2026)
Field at a glance
Journals
- The Journal of Immunology
- AAI's biweekly journal, established in 1916, publishing basic and clinical studies in all aspects of immunology.Website ↗
- Immunity
- Cell Press monthly immunology journal; the first issue appeared in April 1994.Website ↗
- Nature Reviews Immunology
- Monthly review journal from Nature Portfolio, established in 2001, with short research highlights.Website ↗
- Vaccine
- Elsevier journal, established in 1983, covering vaccinology from basic research to safety and legislation.Website ↗
Societies
- American Association of Immunologists (AAI)
- Founded in 1913, over 7,700 members; publishes The Journal of Immunology and ImmunoHorizons.Website ↗
- International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS)
- Umbrella body founded in 1969 with ten founding societies; standing committees include Nomenclature and Inborn Errors of Immunity.Website ↗
- European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)
- Founded in 1956; over 50 national societies and 16,000 individuals from 124 countries; publishes Allergy.Website ↗
Funders and programmes
- NIAID and its Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation
- NIAID took its name in 1955 to include allergy and immunology; DAIT is one of four extramural divisions, alongside the Vaccine Research Center.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- CEPI
- Created after the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic to speed vaccines and biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats.Website ↗
- Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
- Operating since 2000; founding partners are WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank and the Gates Foundation.Website ↗
Archives, facilities and data
- IMGT
- International information system for immunoglobulin and T cell receptor genes; IMGT/GENE-DB holds nomenclature for 42 species.Website ↗
- Immune Epitope Database (IEDB)
- Hosted at La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology and supported by NIAID; antibody and T cell epitope data plus prediction tools.Website ↗
- VAERS
- Passive vaccine adverse event reporting system co-managed by CDC and FDA since 1990; it cannot establish causation.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- Vaccine Safety Datalink
- CDC collaboration with healthcare organisations, established in 1990; analyses electronic health records weekly for adverse events.Website ↗
Standards and formats
- ISAC data standards: FCS, Gating-ML, MIFlowCyt
- File format, gate exchange format and minimum reporting standard for flow cytometry; MIFlowCyt was developed in 2008.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- MiAIRR and AIRR Community standards
- Minimal information standard, file formats, API and reference software for antibody and T cell receptor repertoire data.Website ↗
- Brighton Collaboration case definitions
- Standardised adverse-event case definitions and data collection guidelines; launched in 2000 and a Task Force for Global Health programme since 2019.Website ↗
- FDA CBER Biologics License Application
- A BLA is the request to introduce a biologic into interstate commerce (21 CFR 601.2); CBER oversees vaccines.Website ↗
27 pages across 7 topic areas
Laboratory Operations & Safety
- Cell Host & Microbe: Scope, Fees and Guide
Cell Host & Microbe is a Cell Press journal covering host-pathogen biology. Learn its editorial scope, STAR Methods standards, and hybrid publishing m…
- CITE-seq: Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes
CITE-seq combines single-cell RNA sequencing with antibody-derived protein tags to measure transcriptomes and surface epitopes simultaneously in singl…
- Dendritic Cell Function: How DCs Prime T Cells
How dendritic cells capture antigen, migrate and prime T cells, how subsets differ, and how to read DC assay results from culture models.…
- Flow Cytometry Compensation: Single-Stain Controls and Matrix Setup
What a single-stain compensation control has to be to be valid, how the compensation matrix is actually calculated from it, and the three errors -- wr…
- Flow Cytometry: Principles, Panel Design, and Gating Workflow
A complete guide to flow cytometry: fluidics/optics/electronics, FSC/SSC, panel design and staining index, compensation vs. spectral unmixing, FMO vs.…
- Germ-Free Mice: Definition, Derivation, and Procurement Guide
What "germ-free" means, how germ-free mice are derived and housed, why they are used in microbiome research, and how research institutions source and…
- Global Initiative for Asthma: GINA Guidelines
The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) sets global clinical strategy, defining objective diagnostic criteria, the Assess-Adjust-Review loop, and AIR…
- Hybridoma
Hybridoma cells fuse B lymphocytes and myeloma cells to produce monoclonal antibodies. Explore HAT selection, culture protocols, cell banking, and QC.…
- Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs): Types, Markers and Lab Relevance
What innate lymphoid cells are, how ILC1, ILC2 and ILC3 differ, and why mouse and human markers and tissue sampling matter at the bench.…
- Memory T Cells: TCM, TEM, TRM and Marker Definitions
Memory T cell subsets compared by CD45RA, CCR7, CD69 and CD103, with a gating checklist and the blood-versus-tissue sampling limit.…
- Polyclonal vs Monoclonal Antibodies: Which to Use in an ImmunoassayComparison
Clone type matters less than most protocols imply. Knockout-controlled data show recombinant, sequence-defined antibodies outperform polyclonals and h…
- Protein Subunit Vaccine: Design, Platforms & Use
Protein subunit vaccines use recombinant antigens (CHO, BEVS, yeast). Explore adjuvant mechanisms, regulatory CMC standards, and cold-chain supply dec…
- Secretory IgA (SIgA): Structure, Function and Measurement
Secretory IgA is the dimeric mucosal antibody built from IgA, J chain and secretory component; see its structure, subclasses and saliva measurement.…
- Vaccine Adjuvant: Types, Uses and Standards
A vaccine adjuvant enhances the immune response to an antigen. Explore FDA-approved adjuvant platforms, biological mechanisms, and lab handling standa…
Laboratory Equipment & Instrumentation
- Cell Sorting by Flow Cytometry: Nozzle, Sheath Pressure, Sort Mode, Purity and Post-Sort Viability
How nozzle diameter and sheath pressure are chosen from cell size, why sort mode is a droplet-conflict rule rather than a quality dial, what purity mo…
- FMO Controls in Flow Cytometry: When and How to Use Them
When a fluorescence-minus-one (FMO) control is required versus an isotype or unstained control, how to build and read one correctly, and why FMOs matt…
- Imaging Flow Cytometry vs Conventional Flow CytometryComparison
What imaging flow cytometry adds over conventional flow cytometry — internalization, colocalization, and morphology scoring — and the real throughput,…
- Multicolor Flow Cytometry: Daily Instrument Setup and QC Beads
Daily QC-bead standardization vs periodic calibration, how to set PMT voltages per detector for a multicolor panel without clipping or losing dim posi…
- PBMC Preparation and Staining for Flow Cytometry
How to isolate PBMCs by Ficoll-Paque density-gradient centrifugation and prepare them for flow cytometry staining, covering viability handling at each…
- What Is a Flow Cytometer?
What a flow cytometer is, how it reads cells one at a time by laser light scatter and fluorescence, and how it differs from a cell sorter, microscope,…
Grants Management & Research Funding
- Autoimmune Association: Grants and Programs Guide
Autoimmune Association research grants, Virginia T. Ladd Young Investigator awards, eligibility rules, and application phases for early-career scienti…
- National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP): Eligibility, Deadlines and How Claims Work
How the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program works: eligibility, filing deadlines, award categories and procedural clocks, from 42 U.S.C. 300a…
Research Methods & Statistics
- Virology vs Immunology: What Is the Difference?Comparison
Virology studies viruses; immunology studies the immune system that responds to them. How they differ on object of study, methods, biosafety, funding…
- What Is Immunology? Research Areas, Funding, and Career Paths
A complete guide to immunology: what it studies, its major subfields, the federal agencies and foundations that fund the research, core lab methods, a…
Clinical Research Administration
- VAERS Reporting: Who Must Report, When, and What the Data Can Support
VAERS is a passive, hypothesis-generating surveillance system. This guide covers the statutory reporting duty under 42 U.S.C. 300aa-25, the difference…
Laboratory Compliance & Quality
- EudraVigilance Reporting: Registration, EVWEB vs Gateway, and ICSR Timelines
How EudraVigilance registration, EVWEB and gateway submission, the E2B(R3) ICSR format, and EU reporting timelines actually work for MAHs and clinical…
Research Data Management
- ImmPort: NIAID's Data Repository and Analysis Portal for Immunology Research
ImmPort is NIAID/DAIT's public repository and analysis platform for immunology research data — assay results, clinical study data, and HIPC datasets —…
