Location: Poultry Research
Project Number: 6064-32000-013-002-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jul 31, 2019
End Date: Jul 30, 2024
Objective:
Utilize molecular techniques to characterize the immune response of chickens to respiratory diseases in various infection models and their associated interventions.
As a collaborator over the next five years, plans are to contribute to the projects initiated concerning the prevention and control of mycoplasmosis in commercial egg-laying hens. My contribution to this work will involve providing expertise and resources to projects involving the commercial application and effects of in ovo-administered live attenuated Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccines on the immunity, physiology, and performance of egg-laying hens.
Approach:
To determine the immune response of commercial birds to respiratory infections, birds will be infected with a respiratory pathogen such as, Avian Pathogenic E. coli (APEC) or Mycoplasma gallisepticum, in the presence or absence of an environmental stressor (e.g. heat stress, ammonia stress, co-infection, etc.) or intervention (e.g. vaccine, novel antibiotic alternatives, etc.). Host tissues and blood will be collected and subjected to molecular techniques including qPCR, flow cytometry, and ELISA to characterize the local and peripheral immune responses.
