"No biographer or historian could convey Jenner's feelings during this period of his life better than he does himself in these letters."-- Nature
Isaacs, S. (2012). Vaccinia virus and poxvirology : methods and protocols (2nd ed.). Humana Press.
Authoritative and practical, Vaccinia Virus and Poxvirology: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition seeks to aid scientists in continuing to study poxviruses using new tools and approaches.
Since the first edition of Vaccinia Virus and Poxvirology: Methods and Protocols was published, a number of important events related to poxvirology have occurred, such as FDA approval of a culture-based live smallpox vaccine and the vaccination of large numbers of U.S. military and relatively large numbers of U.S. civilians. Novel anti-poxvirus therapeutics have been developed and have been used in emergency settings. The second edition of Vaccinia Virus and Poxvirology expands upon the previous edition with entirely new sets of protocols. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Dr. Edward Jenner and His Legacy commemorated the 225th anniversary of Jenner’s innovative contribution to vaccinology. Through the centuries, millions of people perished from smallpox with many survivors often blinded or left with disfiguring scars. Seeking a safer and more effective alternative to the commonly practiced variolation (inoculation with smallpox virus), Jenner applied what he learned from local farmers, laborers, and physicians to vaccinate little James Phipps on May 14, 1796. The method involved using “cowpox” from a milkmaid’s hand, followed six weeks later by an immunologic challenge with smallpox inoculum to demonstrate protection from the dreaded disease. Jenner’s published accounts of this clinical trial and similar critical observations brought needed recognition to the hypothesis of conferred immunity. Remarkably, less than two centuries after Jenner’s historic procedure, the World Health Organization declared naturally-occurring smallpox to be eradicated. This exhibit presents materials highlighting Jenner’s initial experiment, public opposition to cowpoxing, smallpox outbreaks in Charlotte, vaccine development for other diseases (including COVID-19), and medical text descriptions about smallpox from days of old. The main floor exhibit items were on display April 12 - August 12, 2021. You are welcome to browse this digital exhibit to discover more about Jenner’s enduring legacy in the history of medicine!
The smallpox vaccine paved the way for vaccines against other dreaded diseases. Stamps depicting Dr. Louis Pasteur of France and his rabies vaccine were kindly loaned to the Atkins Library by Dr. Daniel Rabinovich of the UNC Charlotte Department of Chemistry.
