Nicholas J. Mantis, Ph.D.
    The mucosal immune system produces secretory IgA antibodies that protect epithelial surfaces from toxins and microbial patho
    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.
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Nicholas J. Mantis, PhD

Chief, Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology
Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Integrated Health Sciences, University at Albany
Mucosal Immunology
PhD, Cornell University
Postdoctoral Fellow and Fulbright Scholar, Pasteur Institute in Paris, Children’s Hospital Boston, and Harvard Medical School
Phone Number
(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
Rudolph MJ, Davis SA, Haque HME, Weis DD, Vance DJ, Piazza CL, Ejemel M, Cavacini L, Wang Y, Mbow ML, Gilmore RD, Mantis NJ. Structural Elucidation of a Protective B Cell Epitope on Outer Surface Protein C (OspC) of the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borreliella burgdorferi. mBio. 2023; (Mar 28): e0298122. DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02981-22
Pubmed Web Address
Roy CJ, Ehrbar D, Van Slyke G, Doering J, Didier PJ, Doyle-Meyers L, Donini O, Vitetta ES, Mantis NJ. Serum antibody profiling identifies vaccine-induced correlates of protection against aerosolized ricin toxin in rhesus macaques. NPJ Vaccines. 2022; 7 (1): 164. DOI: 10.1038/s41541-022-00582-x
Pubmed Web Address
Czajka TF, Vance DJ, Davis S, Rudolph MJ, Mantis NJ. Single-domain antibodies neutralize ricin toxin intracellularly by blocking access to ribosomal P-stalk proteins. J Biol Chem. 2022; 298 (4): 101742. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101742
Pubmed Web Address
Richards AF, Baranova DE, Pizzuto MS, Jaconi S, Willsey GG, Torres-Velez FJ, Doering JE, Benigni F, Corti D, Mantis NJ. Recombinant Human Secretory IgA Induces Salmonella Typhimurium Agglutination and Limits Bacterial Invasion into Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissues. ACS Infect Dis. 2021; 7 (5): 1221-1235. DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00842
Pubmed Web Address
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; 33 (3): 417-421.
Pubmed Web Address
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; 83 (4): 1674-1683.
Pubmed Web Address
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 Web Address
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; 21 (5): 777-782.
Pubmed Web Address
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 Web Address
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