The Pirbright Institute

The Pirbright Institute

We are a world-leading centre of excellence in the research and surveillance of viral diseases of livestock and viruses that spread from animals to humans.

Explore our science

Four black and white cows grazing on lush green grass. The sky is bright blue with fluffy white clouds.

Protecting the UK

Our facilities provide a National Capability and are unique within the UK with a complement of scientific expertise and physical resources.

National Capability

Researcher in white lab coat and purple gloved hands pipetting into an eppendorf tube

Ourscience

Our innovative fundamental and applied bioscience contributes to global food security and health, improving quality of life for animals and people.

Explore our science

Two people stood having a discussion amongst wildflowers

Engage with us

Collaborate with us to access our facilities and explore our training courses delivered by our experts in science, engineering and biosafety.

Engage with us

Facilities and resources

Discover our specialist science facilities, including unique high-containment laboratories, advanced technology platforms, and access our services and products like diagnostic testing.

Facilities and resources

Latest news

See all news

A Chef and a person stood on grass together looking at the camera. Behind them on the left is a green cylinder with metal legs. White words on the green composter read "ridan food waste composter. keeping the world turning."

21 May 2025

Mulch ado about food waste

A new composter is helping The Pirbright Institute recycle its food waste, fertilise allotments and reduce its carbon footprint. The hot aerobic composter uses no power and blends wood pellets with canteen waste to produce up to 6.5 tonnes of mulch a year on site. For every 5 kg of combined food and…

Small herd of white cattle in South Africa on dried grass. The image has a sunset haze to it.

21 May 2025

Pirbright expertise informs economic analysis for foot-and-mouth disease control

How much should policymakers invest in controlling animal diseases that spread across national borders, who should pay, and will intervention really work? A researcher at The Pirbright Institute is one of a team of seven authors who have drafted a new handbook for the Food and Agriculture…

Small young yellow chick on sawdust. Both legs have little loose yellow rings

14 May 2025

Field study reveals the best way of sampling for foot-and-mouth disease in endemic settings

Scientists from The Pirbright Institute have led a longitudinal study of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in collaboration with the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Northern Nigeria. The project investigated the role that small ruminants and contaminated environments have on the…

Female presenter in front of audience and backdrop of meeting programme shown on screen

03 April 2025

Sustainability takes centre stage at inaugural UK Lab Management Biosciences Conference

The inaugural UK Lab Management Biosciences Conference took place on Thursday 20 March 2025, at the Mandolay Hotel in Guildford, Surrey. Organised by colleagues from The Pirbright Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, this event brought together laboratory managers and…

See all news

Preventing and controlling viral diseases

Viruses we study

Our research focuses on viruses that are potentially devastating for the economy, food security and the wellbeing of animals and humans.

Explore the viruses we study

Transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Crown-like spikes on the outer edge of the virus particles give coronaviruses their name.

Latest research

See all publications

Multi-omics analysis reveals key immunogenic signatures induced by oncolytic Zika virus infection of paediatric brain tumour cells

Sherwood M, Mitsugi TG, Kaid C, Coke B, Zatz M, Maringer K, Okamoto OK, Ewing RM.

Direct amplification and sequencing of enterovirus genomes from clinical and wastewater samples reveals uncommon virus types in Cameroon

Modiyinji AF, Joffret ML, Sadeuh-Mba SA, Ait Ahmed M, Knowles NJ, Njouom R, Endegue-Zanga MC, Bessaud M.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccines by Design; Production of Capsid-Modified Foot-and-Mouth Disease Viruses with Improved Cell Culture Growth

Berryman S, Feenstra F, Asfor A, Coco-Martin J, Jackson T, Tuthill TJ.

Porcine respiratory coronavirus as a model for acute respiratory disease: mechanisms of different infection outcomes

Sedaghat-Rostami E, Carr BV, Yang L, Keep S, Lean FZX, Atkinson I, Fones A, Paudyal B, Kirk J, Vatzia E, Gubbins S, Bickerton E, Briggs E, Núñez A, McNee A, Moffat K, Freimanis G, Rollier C, Muir A, Richard AC, Angelopoulos N, Gerner W, Tchilian E.

SARS-CoV-2 variants retain high airborne transmissibility by different strategies

Zhou J, Sukhova K, Frise R, Baillon L, Brown JC, Peacock TP, Furnon W, Cowton VM, Patel AH, Palmarini M, Barclay WS.

Distribution of aminopeptidase N coronavirus receptors in the respiratory and digestive tracts of domestic and wild artiodactyls and carnivores

Lean FZX, Gallo G, Newman J, Ackroyd S, Spiro S, Cox R, Nymo IH, Bröjer C, Neimanis A, Suárez-Bonnet A, Priestnall SL, Everest H, Keep S, Bailey D, Delahay RJ, Seekings AH, McElhinney LM, Brookes SM, Núñez A.

Longitudinal study of foot-and-mouth disease virus in Northern Nigeria: implications for the roles of small ruminants and environmental contamination in endemic settings

Gubbins S, Brown E, Wungak Y, Oyekan O, Adedeji AJ, Ijoma SI, Atai RB, Oguche MO, Samson M, Dogonyaro BB, Rosso F, Hicks H, Wood BA, Wadsworth J, Knowles N, King DP, Ludi AB, Colenutt C, Shaw AE, Limon G, Ehizibolo DO.

Data note on the Avian Contact Study: a questionnaire resource for avian influenza public health planning

Thomas AC, Gokool S, Clapp G, Whitlow H, McGrath C, Moore P, Helwegen M, Logunleko M, Bueno I, Bailey M, Masterton S, Taylor-Egbeyemi J, Brown I, Puleston R, Pae R, Smith LE, Lambton S, Brooks-Pollock E.