A reverse genetic platform for in-vitro assessment of lead vaccine candidates for poultry

High-stock density farming is a common strategy in the poultry industry to support the upgrowing global consumption of meat. However, this type of intensive practice favors the transmission and spread of infectious diseases such us the Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD), which outbreaks are massive and have devastating economic consequences.
Current vaccines against IBD have variable efficiency in the field, mainly due to the interference from maternal antibodies, and the emergence of very virulent strains. The economic impact of IBDV variants in Canadian poultry farms has raised concerns about the effectiveness of existing breeder vaccination programs, casting doubt on the adequacy of current immunization tools. The consensus among stakeholders is that novel approaches must be explored to increase the safety and efficacy of IBD vaccines.
The current proposal leverages the use of in-house generated IBDV reverse genetic systems, using them as valuable tools to screen for and understand the role of key viral proteins in the virus life cycle. Ultimately, the knowledge gained from these studies will be fundamental to inform the rational design of novel vaccine candidates for poultry.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mauricio Terebiznik

Student:

Partner:

Universidad Juan Agustín Maza

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture and Food; Biotechnology; Sustainability and the Environment

University:

University of Toronto

Program: