Location: Foreign Arthropod Borne Animal Disease Research
Project Number: 3022-32000-025-025-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 2, 2024
End Date: Sep 1, 2026
Objective:
The objective of this agreement is to develop and apply new technology to investigate vector-pathogen-host interactions and biology of vectors and arboviruses present domestically and internationally that could pose emerging animal disease threats. Selection of specific vector-pathogen-host triads to be studied will be based on incidence and risk assessments to livestock and other animals of interest.
Approach:
At least three biomaterials will be selected, processed, and tested that represent areas of high agricultural importance. This testing will assess impact, utility, and advantages of these new tools in select vector-pathogen-host scenarios most relevant to livestock and other animals of interest. These studies can involve both laboratory and semi-field/field components and the data obtained can be used to inform risk assessments and mitigation plans. Impact, utility, and advantage of each tool will be assayed by different techniques.
Specific Aims include:
1. Define, characterize, and develop biomaterials and processing required to create new tools with maximum impact potential to improve studies focused on elucidating vector-pathogen-host interactions.
2. The initial tool development and validation will be done using standard laboratory methods and equipment. Once developed, these new tools will be adapted to and equivalency validated in scaled up and/or high-throughput settings as appropriate and technically feasible.
General sample analysis will include:
1. Biomaterial and processing characterization.
2. Flow cytometry and standard molecular assays.
3. qPCR preparation and analysis as appropriate and possible.
The data generated in this project will be used to create new tools for vector-pathogen-host triads that could threaten animal and public health. Additionally, these data could be used to inform risk models and mitigation plans in future studies.
