Nicholas J. Mantis, Ph.D.

Chief, Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology

Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany

Mucosal Immunology

Ph.D., Cornell University

Postdoctoral Fellow and Fulbright Scholar, Pasteur Institute in Paris, Children’s Hospital Boston, and Harvard Medical School

nicholas.mantis@health.ny.gov

(518) 473-7487

Fax:

(518) 402-4773

Research Interests

Dr. Mantis’ research focuses on host-pathogen interactions and the development of vaccines for biodefense and emerging infectious diseases (BDEID). His primary interest is in the role of antibodies in conferring immunity to airborne, foodborne and vectorborne infections. The laboratory has ongoing collaborations with academic and biopharmaceutic partners to develop vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for human use against COVID-19, Lyme disease, pertussis, tetanus, Salmonella, cholera, and ricin toxin.

Dr. Mantis has received research awards from the:

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) Department of Defense (DOD)
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

For more information, please visit our webpage.

Select Publications

Levinson KJ, De Jesus M, Mantis, NJ.

Rapid effects of a protective O-polysaccharide-specific monoclonal IgA on Vibrio cholerae agglutination, motility, and surface morphology.

Infect Immun.

(2015)

(4):

1674-1683.

Pubmed

De Jesus M, Rodriguez AE, Yagita H, Ostroff GR, Mantis NJ.

Sampling of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis by Langerin-positive dendritic cells in mouse Peyer's patches.

Immunology Letters.

(2015)

168

(1):

64-72.

Pubmed

Vance DJ, Rong Y, Brey RN 3rd, Mantis NJ.

Combination of two candidate subunit vaccine antigens elicits protective immunity to ricin and anthrax toxin in mice.

Vaccine.

(2015)

(3):

417-421.

Pubmed

Sully EK, Whaley KJ, Bohorova N, Bohorov O, Goodman C, Kim do H, Pauly MH, Velasco J, Hiatt E, Morton J, Swope K, Roy CJ, Zeitlin L, Mantis NJ.

Chimeric plantibody passively protects mice against aerosolized ricin challenge.

Clin Vaccine Immunol.

(2014)

(5):

777-782.

Pubmed

Rudolph MJ, Vance DJ, Cheung J, Franklin MC, Burshteyn F, Cassidy MS, Gary EN, Herrera C, Shoemaker CB, Mantis NJ.

Crystal structures of ricin toxin's enzymatic subunit (RTA) in complex with neutralizing and non-neutralizing single-chain antibodies.

J Mol Biol.

(2014)

426

(17):

3057-3068.

Pubmed

The mucosal immune system produces secretory IgA antibodies that protect epithelial surfaces from toxins and microbial pathogens

Scanning electron micrographs of Salmonella treated with a neutralizing antibodies Sal4. Control bacteria

Scanning electron micrographs of Salmonella treated with a neutralizing antibodies Sal4. Bacteria treated with Sal4.

Oral ingestion of ricin toxin causes damage to the intestinal epithelium. The Mantis laboratory has developed a mouse model to study ricin poisoning of the gastrointestinal tract. The lab has also identified antibodies that protect epithelial cells from the deleterious effects of the toxin.