Researchers at the Scripps Institute in Jupiter say some of their latest research may have promising implications for an effective coronavirus vaccine.

The findings are still preliminary and have yet to be published, but one member of the research team is expected to update the public on the project and similar efforts during a webinar Scripps will host Wednesday at 4 p.m.

According to the Palm Beach Post, Michael Farzan, a professor who co-chairs Scripps’s Department of Immunology and Microbiology and who is among the scientists working on various coronavirus-related projects at Scripps Florida, is expected to address the research during Wednesday’s web lecture.

In their research, Farzan, other Scripps scientists, and experts from elsewhere in the U.S. and China collaborated to simulate a hallmark of the coronavirus in lab rats.

They injected four rodents with doses that included amino acids found on the spikes seen on the now-ubiquitous images of the coronavirus.

The amino acid collection, called receptor-binding domain, or RBD, was shown to help trigger the “robust” production of neutralizing antibodies, researchers wrote.

Antibodies are part of the immune response that helps the human body recover from COVID-19 and other ailments. Their presence, many scientists hope, suggests that a person will have immunity from the coronavirus — at least for that wave of infection.

“These data suggest that an RBD-based vaccine for (the coronavirus) could be safe and effective,” researchers wrote in a draft abstract.

This is great news coming straight form one of the Palm Beaches’ most prestigious institutions. Tune into the Scripps webinar later today to find out more.

The webinar, part of the regular Front Row lecture series by Scripps, will be limited to 3,000 attendees. Those hoping to attend can register for free at scripps.edu.