Search | The Pirbright Institute

Filters

default publication image

Avian influenza A(H9N2) virus in poultry worker, Pakistan, 2015

Avian influenza A(H9N2) virus isolated from a poultry worker in Pakistan in 2015 was closely related to viruses detected in poultry farms. Observed mutations in the hemagglutinin related to receptor-binding affinity and antigenicity could affect cross-reactivity with…

close up of pig in trailer pirbright

Pirbright student wins award to progress swine flu studies

Veronica Martini, first year PhD student in the Mucosal Immunology group at Pirbright, has received the In Vivo Skills Award from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council ( BBSRC). The £17,600 funding will provide Veronica with the opportunity to learn new…

default publication image

Dissecting the genomic architecture of resistance to Eimeria maxima parasitism in the chicken

Coccidiosis in poultry, caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria, is an intestinal disease with substantial economic impact. With the use of anticoccidial drugs under public and political pressure, and the comparatively higher cost of live-attenuated vaccines, an…

default publication image

Carbenoxolone-mediated cytotoxicity inhibits Vaccinia virus replication in a human keratinocyte cell line

The re-emergence of poxviral zoonotic infections and the threat of bioterrorism emphasise the demand for effective antipoxvirus therapies. Here, we show that carbenoxolone, a pharmacological inhibitor of gap junction function and a compound widely used in cell culture, is…

default publication image

Structure-function analysis of neutralizing antibodies to H7N9 influenza from naturally infected humans

Little is known about the specificities and neutralization breadth of the H7-reactive antibody repertoire induced by natural H7N9 infection in humans. We have isolated and characterized 73 H7-reactive monoclonal antibodies from peripheral B cells from four donors infected in…

default publication image

Diet, gut microbes and host mate choice: understanding the significance of microbiome effects on host mate choice requires a case by case evaluation

All organisms live in close association with microbes. However, not all such associations are meaningful in an evolutionary context. Current debate concerns whether hosts and microbes are best described as communities of individuals or as holobionts (selective units of hosts…

default publication image

Microbial diversity and community composition of caecal microbiota in commercial and indigenous Indian chickens determined using 16s rDNA amplicon sequencing

The caecal microbiota plays a key role in chicken health and performance, influencing digestion and absorption of nutrients, and contributing to defence against colonisation by invading pathogens. Measures of productivity and resistance to pathogen colonisation are directly…

default publication image

The genomic architecture of fowl typhoid resistance in commercial layers

Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum causes devastating outbreaks of fowl typhoid across the globe, especially in developing countries. With the use of antimicrobial agents being reduced due to legislation and the absence of licensed vaccines in some parts of the world, an…

default publication image

Enhancing protective efficacy of poultry vaccines through targeted delivery of antigens to antigen-presenting cells

Avian viral diseases including avian influenza, Marek’s disease and Newcastle disease are detrimental to economies around the world that depend on the poultry trade. A significant zoonotic threat is also posed by avian influenza viruses. Vaccination is an important and…

default publication image

Contributions of farm animals to immunology

By their very nature, great advances in immunology are usually underpinned by experiments carried out in animal models and inbred lines of mice. Also, their corresponding knock-out or knock-in derivatives have been the most commonly used animal systems in immunological…