Development of an attenuated vaccine to control the emerging bovine respiratory pathogen Mycoplasma bovis. The project will develop an attenuated vaccine to control the emerging bovine respiratory pathogen Mycoplasma bovis. This pathogen is a major contributor to bovine pneumonia in the feedlot industry and improved control will reduce reliance on antibiotics in cattle production.
Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. This project aims to optimise the formulation of novel fluke vaccine antigens by constructing combination hybrid recombinant antigens and using a protein adjuvant to improve immunogenicity, and test new antigens expressed in young flukes as vaccines and evaluate their ability to synergise with hybrid vaccines. Fasciola (fluke) infections cause seriou ....Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. Optimisation of a novel hybrid vaccine for liver fluke disease in cattle. This project aims to optimise the formulation of novel fluke vaccine antigens by constructing combination hybrid recombinant antigens and using a protein adjuvant to improve immunogenicity, and test new antigens expressed in young flukes as vaccines and evaluate their ability to synergise with hybrid vaccines. Fasciola (fluke) infections cause serious economic losses to livestock production and fluke drug resistance threatens control, so new therapies such as a vaccine are needed. These vaccines should be evaluated in cattle trials. The major outcome plan is validation of hybrid antigens for commercial vaccine development for fluke control in cattle, leading to more sustainable beef and milk production in Australia.Read moreRead less
Harnessing innate immunity to mitigate bovine respiratory disease. Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the most significant health problem faced by the beef industry worldwide, causing economic losses of up to $40 million annually in Australia alone. This Project aims to assess an immunostimulant for its ability to induce resistance to infection with bovine respiratory viruses associated with BRD. The Project is expected to generate fundamental new knowledge in veterinary virology. Expected outc ....Harnessing innate immunity to mitigate bovine respiratory disease. Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the most significant health problem faced by the beef industry worldwide, causing economic losses of up to $40 million annually in Australia alone. This Project aims to assess an immunostimulant for its ability to induce resistance to infection with bovine respiratory viruses associated with BRD. The Project is expected to generate fundamental new knowledge in veterinary virology. Expected outcomes include scholarly publications. The Project will provide significant benefits, such as advances to fundamental knowledge, training of higher research degree students and proof-of-concept data to promote collaborations with commercial partners to develop novel treatment strategies to limit BRD.Read moreRead less
Topical and cryoanaesthesia for livestock husbandry. The livestock industries contribute $15billion annually to Australia's economy, playing a vital role in rural communities. However we must respond to changing demands of our customers, by complementing our competitive disease-free advantage with welfare-conscious production systems. This project will address the threat of growing international demands for improved animal welfare in farming. We will provide research and technical solutions, pro ....Topical and cryoanaesthesia for livestock husbandry. The livestock industries contribute $15billion annually to Australia's economy, playing a vital role in rural communities. However we must respond to changing demands of our customers, by complementing our competitive disease-free advantage with welfare-conscious production systems. This project will address the threat of growing international demands for improved animal welfare in farming. We will provide research and technical solutions, providing pain mangement products for on-farm use that will reduce animal suffering during routine husbandry interventions. The project offers significant benefits for producers by protecting their industries against the threats of a welfare embargo on our livestock products. Read moreRead less
Development of a novel vaccine targeting parasite tegument proteins for liver fluke disease in livestock. Liver fluke parasites cause serious economic losses for livestock producers in South-East Australia, but drug resistance threatens parasite control and economic productivity in rural communities. This project will use novel technologies to identify lead vaccine candidates for improved fluke control to sustain agricultural productivity.
Development of a proto-type vaccine against gastrointestinal nematode larvae. Gastrointestinal parasites are the major cause of production losses in the Australian sheep and wool industries. Drug treatment is predominantly used to control infections but drug resistance has reached critical levels and is threatening the viability of sheep production in many rural areas. In collaboration with an international Animal Health company, we aim to develop vaccines against these parasites and provide a c ....Development of a proto-type vaccine against gastrointestinal nematode larvae. Gastrointestinal parasites are the major cause of production losses in the Australian sheep and wool industries. Drug treatment is predominantly used to control infections but drug resistance has reached critical levels and is threatening the viability of sheep production in many rural areas. In collaboration with an international Animal Health company, we aim to develop vaccines against these parasites and provide a clean, non-toxic alternative to drug treatment. The groundbreaking research involved in this project will also keep Australian animal scientists at the forefront of vaccine research and increase their capacity to attract further support from Industry.Read moreRead less