Functional identification of vaccine targets in pathogenic mycoplasmas. Mycoplasmas are important bacterial pathogens in domestic animals that are incompletely controlled by current vaccines. As a result current control measures for the diseases they cause rely on ongoing treatment with antibiotics. This project will aim to use functional genomics and metabolomics to determine the function of specific surface proteins of a model mycoplasma to identify targets for novel approaches to vaccines aga ....Functional identification of vaccine targets in pathogenic mycoplasmas. Mycoplasmas are important bacterial pathogens in domestic animals that are incompletely controlled by current vaccines. As a result current control measures for the diseases they cause rely on ongoing treatment with antibiotics. This project will aim to use functional genomics and metabolomics to determine the function of specific surface proteins of a model mycoplasma to identify targets for novel approaches to vaccines against these pathogens, and to then assess the potential for inclusion of these proteins in vaccines. Ultimately this will lead to improved vaccines against these important pathogens, improving agricultural productivity and reducing the use of antibiotics in intensively raised livestock.Read moreRead less
Optimising the efficacy of mycoplasma vaccines in the field. Optimising the efficacy of mycoplasma vaccines in the field. This project intends to examine the effect of antibiotic treatment, killed vaccines and immunosuppressive viruses on the protective immunity induced by a model novel vaccine against the important poultry pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The continued circulation of pathogenic mycoplasmas in intensively managed animals is a major animal health problem. Live attenuated vaccin ....Optimising the efficacy of mycoplasma vaccines in the field. Optimising the efficacy of mycoplasma vaccines in the field. This project intends to examine the effect of antibiotic treatment, killed vaccines and immunosuppressive viruses on the protective immunity induced by a model novel vaccine against the important poultry pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The continued circulation of pathogenic mycoplasmas in intensively managed animals is a major animal health problem. Live attenuated vaccines could reduce disease, but we have limited understanding of the best conditions for their use. This project will generate data to guide both use and development of live mycoplasma vaccines. It is expected to have significant impacts on animal health, welfare and production, and public health by reducing the use of antibiotics to control mycoplasmoses.Read moreRead less