Bacterial capsule
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The bacterial capsule is a large structure common to many bacteria. It is a polysaccharide layer that lies outside the cell envelope, and is thus deemed part of the outer envelope of a bacterial cell.
A bacterial capsule has a semi-rigid border that follows the contour of the cell. The capsule excludes India Ink when dyed. A slime layer is a non-rigid matrix that is easily deformed and is not able to exclude India Ink. Biofilms are composed of many cells and their outer barriers. The primary functions of both capsules and slime layers are for protection and adhesion.
Conjugate vaccine
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A conjugate vaccine is a type of subunit vaccine which combines a weak antigen with a strong antigen as a carrier so that the immune system has a stronger response to the weak antigen.
For bacteria with a polysaccharide coating, like Haemophilus influenzae type b, the best way to prevent infection is to use a conjugate vaccine.
A vial of Soberana 02 vaccine in Iran for use in the phase III clinical trials