Light-assisted drying enables vaccine stabilization and supports cold-chain-independent distribution

Vaccination against infectious disease is one of the most significant advances in modern medicine. However, the thermal sensitivity of most vaccines necessitates distribution and storage at refrigerated or freezing temperatures. A lack of access to cold chain logistics remains one of the leading causes of under-vaccination worldwide. This study introduces a new technique, light-assisted drying (LAD), to create a protective amorphous trehalose matrix that preserves embedded biologics like vaccines during room-temperature storage. Biologics are suspended in a sugar solution and irradiated with a 1064 nm laser, which drives rapid evaporation of water and forms the protective amorphous matrix. In this study, LAD was applied to clinically relevant vaccines for the first time: 4CMenB, a multicomponent, aluminum-adjuvanted recombinant vaccine targeting Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), a whole-virus inactivated formulation. Polarized light imaging confirmed that LAD processing produced an amorphous matrix without crystallization. For 4CMenB, ELISA showed that antigenicity was retained post-LAD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) verified preservation of outer membrane vesicles and aluminum adjuvant nanostructures. An in vivo mouse study using LAD-processed 4CMenB showed a robust humoral immune response, confirming preserved immunogenicity. For IPV, ELISA demonstrated preserved antigenicity, and TEM confirmed structural integrity of the viral capsid. These findings demonstrate the potential of LAD to improve vaccine stability and support broader immunization efforts by reducing dependence on cold chain logistics.