Award details

Proteomic investigation of animal diseases

Reference	REI20507
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Andrew Gill
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr Michael Baron, Professor Venugopal Nair, Professor Fiona Tomley
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	Div of Molecular Biology
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	150,000
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/04/2004
End date	31/03/2005
Duration	12 months

Abstract

This application is to purchase a mass spectrometer, capillary HPLC and automated digestion workstation to enable research programmes at the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) to carry out proteomic experiments necessary to define molecular interactions between pathogens and their hosts. Amongst the many areas of IAH science where this technology will be invaluable, four main scientific projects are described in this proposal that can make immediate use of the information which would be provided by the latest advances in mass spectrometry technology: (1) TSE diseases: The prion protein is the key molecule in TSE diseases and knowledge of the processing, structure, and molecular interactions of this molecule, and the identification of other molecules involved in TSE pathogenesis, are urgently needed to aid understanding of the biology of these diseases and to identify treatments. (2) Mareks disease: Mareks disease is caused by a highly oncogenic herpesvirus and remains a major cause of mortality in poultry despite current vaccines. Worryingly a succession of more virulent strains of the virus have emerged and future vaccine protection may not be effective. We desperately need to define the mechanisms of this increase in virulence and of virally-induced tumour formation. (3) Rinderpest virus: Rinderpest virus is a morbillivirus affecting cattle, which is similar to the human Measles virus, thought to have derived from rinderpest. Since morbillivirus can infect many different mammalian hosts, we urgently need to understand the factors which limit host specificity in morbilliviruses, to prevent the emergence of new viruses following the current and planned efforts to eradicate rinderpest and measles virus. (4) Avian coccidiosis: Eimeria are important parasitic pathogens of chickens causing mortality through coccidiosis, as well as excellent models for other apicomplexans causing disease in humans such as Toxoplasma and Crytosporidium. IAH has led the way in obtaining BBSRC funding for the recent sequencing of the genome Eimeria tenella, making possible proteomic analyses, which will allow us to address the functions of Eimeria proteins in invasion, drug resistance and replication and ultimately to identify better control measures avoiding the current use of antibiotic drugs.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Research Equipment Initiative 2003 (RE2) [2003]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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