Scientists have developed a new methodology to produce a vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). Because the vaccine is all synthetic, made up of tiny protein shells designed to trigger optimum immune response, it doesn’t rely on growing live infectious virus and is therefore much safer to produce.
A team from The Pirbright Institute has scooped BBSRC’s Social Innovator of Year Award 2013.
The award was one of several presented yesterday evening at BBSRC’s Innovator of the Year Awards 2013; part of BBSRC’s Fostering Innovation initiative. Now in its fifth year, the annual event aims to promote excellence amongst researchers, knowledge exchange practitioners, departments and institutions by recognising successful approaches to innovation and impact in the biosciences.
Researchers at The Pirbright Institute have identified a suitable model midge species which will enable transmission studies of the Schmallenberg virus (SMV). Schmallenberg virus is spread by midges and causes deformities in lambs and calves when dams are infected during pregnancy. The results of the team’s research are of particular importance as the midges responsible for spreading the virus in the UK cannot currently be maintained under laboratory conditions, despite being extremely abundant on farms.
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