IMPROVED BACTERIAL OUTER MEMBRANE VESICLES

Existing methods of meningococcal OMV preparation involve the use of deterge nt during disruption of the bacterial membrane. According to the invention, membrane disruption is performed substantially in the absence of detergent. The resulting OMVs which retain important bacterial immunogenic components, particularly (i) the protective NspA surface protein, (ü) protein NMB2132 an d (iii) protein NMB 1870.A Typical process involves the following steps: (a) treating bacterial cells in the substantial absence of detergent; (b) centrifuging the composition from step (a) to separate the outer membrane vesicles from treated cells and cell debris, and collecting the supernatant; (c) performing a high speed centrifugation of the supernatant from step (b) and collecting the outer membrane vesicles in a pellet; (d) re-dispersing th e pellet from step (c) in a buffer; (e) performing a second high speed centrifugation in accordance with step (c), collecting the outer membrane vesicles in a pellet; (f) re-dispersing the pellet from step (e) in an aqueo us medium.