Development of a topical treatment to replace surgical mulesing in sheep. 10,800 farms in Australia are sheep farms and a further 30,000 have sheep. Exports of wool earn over $2 billion annually. The animal rights campaign to ban mulesing has forced the industry to outlaw mulesing by 2010. Mulesing is largely confined to Australian Merino sheep and requires Australian research. If practical alternatives are not found costs will rise compromising the economic viability of many sheep farms. C ....Development of a topical treatment to replace surgical mulesing in sheep. 10,800 farms in Australia are sheep farms and a further 30,000 have sheep. Exports of wool earn over $2 billion annually. The animal rights campaign to ban mulesing has forced the industry to outlaw mulesing by 2010. Mulesing is largely confined to Australian Merino sheep and requires Australian research. If practical alternatives are not found costs will rise compromising the economic viability of many sheep farms. Chemical use on the breech will increase causing environmental contamination. A simple topical alternative to mulesing will allow farmers to economically manage flies and satisfy welfare imperatives. This will support rural communities and sustain Australia's export income from wool.Read moreRead less
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
Excitatory neuropeptides from nematode parasites of sheep. Internal parasites cause major disease and economic loss in Australian agricultural industries. Control, usually achieved with drugs, is now compromised by drug resistance and new remedies are required. Results of recent DNA sequencing projects have allowed us to predict the presence of neuropeptides in the worms of sheep. The aim of this project is to elucidate the steps in the action of these peptides, in particular, those that cause m ....Excitatory neuropeptides from nematode parasites of sheep. Internal parasites cause major disease and economic loss in Australian agricultural industries. Control, usually achieved with drugs, is now compromised by drug resistance and new remedies are required. Results of recent DNA sequencing projects have allowed us to predict the presence of neuropeptides in the worms of sheep. The aim of this project is to elucidate the steps in the action of these peptides, in particular, those that cause muscle contraction. By understanding the action of these peptides we hope to identify targets against which new drugs for parasite control can be developed.Read moreRead less