My research focuses on computationally augmented design of biotherapeutics and vaccines and understanding fundamental virus-host interactions from attachment and entry through immunological responses. I lead research on novel methods of vaccine design for recalcitrant targets and contribute to research on designing broadly protective antibodies. I contribute to a variety of research via an affinity for developing novel, complicated, precise, and otherwise tricky assays, especially involving protein-protein interactions. Combined with

computational hypothesis generation, these are the sort of assays that will allow us to delve into the mechanics of viral transmission, replication, engagement of human cells, and evasion vs. clearance by adaptive immunity. After a stint in biotech leading teams in biochemical characterization of biotherapeutics, my graduate training focused on molecular virology and mechanistic determinants of viral entry and transmission. My postdoctoral research spanned vaccinology from design of immunogens through delivery platform, adjuvants, and inoculation strategy. I’m broadly interested in virology, vaccinology, immunology, and biochemistry—especially where biochemistry and cellular biology intersect with computational simulation and novel methods or applications of machine learning.

PhD Microbiology & Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2016

Selected publications

• Desautels, Arrildt, Zemla, et al. Computationally restoring the potency of a clinical antibody against Omicron. Nature. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07385-1
• Maruggi, Mallett, Westerbeck, et al. A self-amplifying mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate induces safe and robust protective immunity in preclinical models. Molecular Therapy. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.01.001
• Arrildt, LaBranche, Joseph, et al. Phenotypic Correlates of HIV-1 Macrophage Tropism. Journal of Virology. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00946-15

For a full list, see: Google Scholar | ORCID

• LLNL Director’s Science & Technology Award (2022)
• LLNL Strategic Partnership Project Award (2022)
• GSK Silver Award (2019)
• AthenaES Customer recognition for exceeding requirements (2006)

LLNL Biosciences and Biotechnology Division
https://youtu.be/JqFNZ3lzzKE

LLNL Microbiology/Immunology
Group https://microbio.llnl.gov

LinkedIn Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arrildt/

The GUIDE Project
https://guide.llnl.gov/
https://youtu.be/UzxF8MC-vhc

UCSF Seminar
https://qbi.ucsf.edu/seminar-faissol-arrildt