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Person in blue paper overalls, wearing a hairnet and grey gloves, weighing a chick. The chick is stood freely on some scales while the person has their eyes on the chick and one hand on a laptop. Their other hand is floating to the side of the chick

Animal research at Pirbright

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White chicken in a pen

IBDV protein that dampens poultry immune response could inform vaccine development

Work carried out by scientists at The Pirbright Institute has revealed that differences in virulence between strains of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) may be partly down to changes in a viral protein called VP4. Their findings could help us to understand why very…

Young scientist shining a light on an egg in a green tray in a dark room.

CRISPR chicken cell study boosts potential for vaccine development

Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have created gene-edited chicken cells that produce significantly higher yields of influenza A virus and Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Poultry vaccines are the mainstay of disease prevention in the global poultry production industry…

Pig sniffing at apple

Pigs ideal for assessing flu antibody therapies, say Pirbright scientists

Studies undertaken at The Pirbright Institute in collaboration with Inovio Pharmaceuticals have shown that pigs can be used to assess whether influenza antibody therapies are effective, which could provide a better indication of their success in humans than small animal…

John Hammond stood behind a lectern holding an award

Leading Pirbright scientist wins Diversity and Inclusion Award

A senior leader who has worked to embed diversity and inclusion across The Pirbright Institute has been recognised with a national award. Professor John Hammond, Director of Research, was presented with the British Society for Immunology (BSI) Diversity and Inclusion Award…

pigs sleeping ASF african swine fever Pirbright

Centralised Immunogen Strategy for PRRSV Protection

Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have successfully developed a novel modified live vaccine candidate for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus type 1 (PRRSV-1), designed using a centralised immunogen approach. The research is a step towards achieving…

Trading poultry in a pakistani village

Science Spotlight: Hassaan Bin Aslam

Hassaan Bin Aslam, a veterinarian and microbiologist from Pakistan, is a student at The Pirbright Institute and the Royal Veterinary College whose project explores the structure of the Pakistan chicken industry to provide information that will aid scientists and policy…

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IFITM knockout DF1 cells produce higher influenza and newcastle disease viral yields: a proof of concept for avian origin cell-based vaccine production

Vaccines remain essential for the control of infectious diseases during poultry production, especially in high density systems. Many of poultry vaccines are currently grown in embryonated chicken eggs (ECE) or egg derived primary cells. These systems can be relatively costly…

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A centralised immunogen approach to develop a more broadly protective modified live porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus 1 vaccine candidate

More efficacious vaccines are required to improve control of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses (PRRSV). One strategy that has shown promise is the use of centralized antigens, generated from consensus sequence data. Here, we evaluated the consensus…

Three sheep in a field

Pirbright shows British sheep can be infected with two types of bluetongue simultaneously

Researchers at The Pirbright Institute have shown that British sheep can become infected with two serotypes of bluetongue virus (BTV) simultaneously and that midges feeding on the sheep can also become co-infected. Their study demonstrates the importance of understanding the…