Immunoinformatics in 2026: overview
Immunoinformatics applies computational and data-analysis methods to understand immune processes and guide tasks such as epitope prediction. It helps researchers prioritize candidate targets, assess how antigens may interact with immune receptors and design vaccine constructs before laboratory testing. Its value depends on reliable prediction across diverse immune systems: sequence-based models can narrow choices, but predictions still need experimental validation.
Recent work is extending beyond single-target prediction. In October 2026, Qassim University and collaborators published SmartVax-Bp, an immunoinformatics-guided multi-epitope vaccine blueprint against Burkholderia pseudomallei; other October studies proposed candidates for bovine leukemia virus and Plasmodium vivax. Methods are also moving toward structure-aware prediction: an August 2026 study used ensembles of in silico structures for peptide–MHC binding, while another applied B-cell epitope prediction to antibody–antigen modeling. A December 2025 collaboration between Houston Methodist and CEPI focused on an AI-designed mRNA vaccine for a tick-borne disease.
- 1Design beyond single targets: Recent multi-epitope vaccine designs for pathogens such as Burkholderia pseudomallei and Plasmodium vivax reflect a shift toward combining candidate immune targets in one construct.
- 2Structure informs prediction: Ensemble structures and epitope-guided restraints are being used to improve peptide–MHC and antibody–antigen modeling, although experimental confirmation remains essential.
- 3Research leads translation: Publication activity is growing while patent activity has declined, suggesting that much of the field’s current momentum remains in computational research and candidate design.
Top organizations working on immunoinformatics
Ranked by Linknovate activity score · last 24 monthsThe activity score adds up the relevance of every patent, publication, grant and news item linking an organization to immunoinformatics. Showing 7 of 906 organizations.
| # | Organization | Approach | Signals (24 mo) | Momentum | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
King Saud University
Research · Saudi Arabia |
Vaccine construct design | PUB 53 | -29% | Recently, affiliated researchers designed mRNA and multi-epitope vaccine candidates against Trypanosoma brucei and Batai orthobunyavirus using immunoinformatics and structural analysis. |
| 2 | 
Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University
Research · Saudi Arabia |
Vaccine construct design | PUB 49 | +617% | Recently, affiliated researchers designed multi-epitope vaccine candidates for Oropouche, Rift Valley fever, and Batai viruses using immunoinformatics and structural assessment. |
| 3 | SU
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Research · Iran |
Vaccine construct design | PUB 37 | +64% | Recently, affiliated researchers designed an immunoinformatics-based multi-epitope vaccine candidate against hepatitis C and a fusion antigen for strongyloidiasis diagnosis. |
| 4 | 
Islamic Azad University
Research · Iran |
Vaccine construct design | PUB 37 | +6% | Recently, affiliated researchers designed multi-epitope vaccine candidates against hepatitis C and Gardnerella vaginalis using immunoinformatics and computational antigen selection. |
| 5 | 
University of Punjab
Research · Pakistan |
Vaccine construct design | PUB 33 | +100% | Recently, affiliated researchers developed computational multi-epitope vaccine and mRNA construct designs targeting Elizabethkingia anophelis, tuberculosis, and Rustrela virus. |
| 6 | SU
Shaqra University
Research · Saudi Arabia |
Vaccine construct design | PUB 34 | +225% | Affiliated researchers have designed multi-epitope vaccine constructs using immunoinformatics and multi-omics, including work targeting synovial sarcoma and bacterial pathogens. |
| 7 | 
University of Central Punjab
Research · Pakistan |
Vaccine construct design | PUB 36 | +314% | Recently, affiliated researchers used computational and structural methods to design multi-epitope vaccine candidates against Oropouche virus, Naegleria fowleri, and Powassan virus. |
| 8 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
| 9 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
| 10 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
Leading research centers
Leading research institutions 826 total
- Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman UniversitySaudi ArabiaRecently, affiliated researchers designed multi-epitope vaccine candidates for Oropouche, Rift Valley fever, and Batai viruses using immunoinformatics and structural assessment.
- King Saud UniversitySaudi ArabiaRecently, affiliated researchers designed mRNA and multi-epitope vaccine candidates against Trypanosoma brucei and Batai orthobunyavirus using immunoinformatics and structural analysis.
- SUShiraz University of Medical SciencesIranRecently, affiliated researchers designed an immunoinformatics-based multi-epitope vaccine candidate against hepatitis C and a fusion antigen for strongyloidiasis diagnosis.
- ··Hidden research institutionCountryAvailable to registered users, with their key researchers.
- ··Hidden research institutionCountryAvailable to registered users, with their key researchers.
Where immunoinformatics innovation happens
Share of documents with at least one organization from each country.
Open the interactive map with all 906 organizationsMain technical approaches
Last 24 months| Approach | What it is | Documents | Leading organizations |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-cell epitope prediction | Predicts peptides presented by MHC molecules for T-cell recognition; performance depends on representative training data and accurate binding models. | 270 |
Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University, Jouf University, University of Jeddah |
| B-cell epitope prediction | Identifies antigen regions that antibodies may recognize; sequence-based predictions can miss the effects of three-dimensional structure. | 552 |
Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University, King Saud University, Jouf University |
| Structural modeling and docking | Models molecular structures and interactions to assess candidate complexes; results depend on input structure quality and require experimental checks. | 937 |
Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University, King Saud University, University of Central Punjab |
| Immune repertoire analysis | Analyzes immune-receptor sequence diversity to characterize responses; interpretation is challenging when samples and datasets vary. | 82 |
Harbin Institute of Technology, University of Lausanne, Bar - Ilan University |
| Vaccine construct design | Combines selected immune targets into proposed vaccine constructs; computational prioritization does not establish safety or protective efficacy. | 947 |
Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University, King Saud University, University of Punjab |
Emerging trends
Last 12 months vs previous 36 monthsTerms whose frequency in the last 12 months grew the most compared with the previous 36 months.
Funding and investment
Recent funding rounds
The data lists $13.9 million across 2 grants since 2020. The funding-round entries do not establish a clear total specifically attributable to immunoinformatics.
Patent landscape
Top patent holders · last 24 monthsRecent developments
Latest news, duplicates removed- Apr 2026Pan, X. & Kortemme, T. Recent advances in de novo protein design: principles, methods, and applications. J. Biol. Chem. 296, 100558 (2021). Woolfson, D. N. A brief history of de novo protein design: minimal…Nature - Issue - nature.com science feeds
Frequently asked questions about immunoinformatics
What companies are working on immunoinformatics?
FACTS lists 80 companies and 4 startups in immunoinformatics, but does not name company profiles in its organization list. Named organizations in the research profile are primarily universities and research centers. For partner scouting, use the company count as a starting point, then verify individual organizations’ products, technical capabilities and experimental validation.
Which universities and research centers lead immunoinformatics research?
King Saud University, Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University and Shiraz University of Medical Sciences are prominent named contributors. Their recent work includes computational vaccine candidates for Trypanosoma brucei, Oropouche virus and hepatitis C. University of Punjab and Qassim University are also associated with vaccine construct design, including the SmartVax-Bp blueprint.
How much funding has immunoinformatics received?
FACTS lists $13,864,885 across 2 grants since 2020. The funding data does not identify the specific projects or establish whether all of this support went directly to immunoinformatics. A separate list of funding rounds includes entries that are not clearly attributable to the field, so its aggregate should not be treated as immunoinformatics funding.
Who holds the most immunoinformatics patents?
NEC OncoImmunity AS is listed with 4 patents, the largest count among the patent holders in FACTS. A separate entry, Nec Oncoimmunity, is listed with 2. Other named holders include Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and La Jolla Institute for Immunology, each with 1 listed patent.
Is immunoinformatics patent activity growing?
No: patent activity declined 55.6% in the last-12-month comparison with the previous 12 months, while publication activity grew 10.9%. FACTS lists 13 patents in its 24-month window. The contrast points to stronger recent momentum in research output than in patenting, though patent counts alone do not measure commercial readiness.
How mature is immunoinformatics?
The field has a substantial research base, with 4,797 documents, but FACTS lists only 2 clinical trials and 24 patents overall. This suggests that computational prediction and candidate design are more established than clinical translation. A predicted epitope or vaccine construct is a research hypothesis, not proof of safety, immunogenicity or protection.
What are the latest developments in immunoinformatics?
Recent examples include SmartVax-Bp, published in October 2026 by Qassim University and collaborators, and a Plasmodium vivax bivalent vaccine design from Jouf University and The University of Lahore that month. August 2026 studies explored structure ensembles for peptide–MHC binding prediction and B-cell epitope restraints for antibody–antigen modeling.
What are the main approaches in immunoinformatics?
The main approaches listed are T-cell epitope prediction, B-cell epitope prediction, structural modeling and docking, immune repertoire analysis, and vaccine construct design. They address different stages, from identifying likely immune targets to modeling interactions or combining targets into a construct. Each depends on data and computational assumptions, so laboratory validation remains necessary.
Which countries lead immunoinformatics?
India, the United States and China lead by document counts, with 994, 873 and 836 documents respectively. Iran follows with 596, and Pakistan with 508. These counts indicate where indexed activity is concentrated; they do not by themselves measure research quality, commercial activity or clinical progress.
What are the applications of immunoinformatics?
FACTS identifies vaccine development, infectious disease research, cancer immunotherapy, autoimmune and allergic disease, and personalized medicine as applications. Vaccine development has 956 documents, while infectious disease research has 891. Recent examples include computational vaccine candidates for viral and bacterial pathogens, as well as work on a multi-epitope candidate targeting WISP1 for gastric cancer.