VaxNewMo is developing pneumococcal conjugate vaccines to provide broader protection against more strains of bacteria that cause pneumococcal pneumonia. The company says its bioconjugation technology bypasses dependency on the synthetic chemistry techniques previously required to manufacture conjugate vaccines. The St. Louis startup has engineered E. coli to manufacture the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. VaxNewMo says its method is faster, better and less expensive than traditional methods used by pharmaceutical companies.