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Farm-Scape, Episode 1432

New basic pathogenomics research at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskcatchewan is expected to dramatically impact its applied research.

Pathogenomics research focuses, at a genetic level, on how animal hosts, be they cattle, pigs or chickens, react to infectious agents.

VIDO Pathogenomics Director Dr. Philip Griebel says an understanding of the genetic interaction between the infectious agent and its host will help scientists develop vaccines that will induce the correct protective immune response.

"It's starting with basic research and this basic research is going to give us very new insights that we haven't had before and that will have quite rapid and immediate effects on the applied research.

By understanding these protective immune responses we may be able to screen new vaccines or vaccine antigens or preparations much more quickly.

Instead of doing large clinical trials where we may have to vaccinate and then challenge, with infectious agent, 50 or 60 animals, by knowing which responses will be protective, we may be able to screen a much larger number of vaccine preparations on many fewer animals and arrive at the same results much more quickly.

This is basic research but it will have some very significant impact on the applied research side of work that is being done here at VIDO."

Dr. Griebel says a better understanding of the disease process will also assist in generating information producers can use to change their management.

He says, to compliment the use of vaccines, they may need to institute certain management practices to reduce disease transmission or to ensure animals are better able to cope with exposure to an infectious agent.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.