Reassortment vs. Reverse Genetics
A comparison of the age-old method of making a flu vaccine with a new, more efficient technique.
View Reassortment Illustration showing how researchers use reassortment, which is the swapping and mixing of gene segments between two different viral strains inside a fertilized chicken egg, to create a new vaccine.
High resolution illustration is available for downloading
View Reverse Genetics Illustration showing how researchers use reverse genetics to custom-make a flu strain to be incorporated into a vaccine.
High resolution illustration is available for downloading
Credit: These images are in the public domain. Please credit the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).