Funded pump-priming grants

Projects funded in round one

The first three projects awarded the IVVN's pump-priming funding were announced in January 2018.

Development of immunological tools for monitoring the immune response of Nile tilapia

A collaboration between UK-, Canada- and Vietnam-based scientists seeking to apply novel tools for studying the immune response of Nile tilapia to the infection model Streptococcus agalactiae.

A single dose vectored Taenia solium vaccine

A project to develop a vaccine against the tapeworm Taenia solium, which can be transmitted from pigs to humans and is associated with a high frequency of epilepsy in endemic areas.

Low-cost thermostabilisation of a Rift Valley Fever vaccine for veterinary use

Many current vaccines need to be kept at cold temperatures, which can be costly and impractical. This project seeks to develop a Rift Valley Fever vaccine that can be kept without refrigeration, which will also help inform work on other veterinary and human vaccines.

Projects funded in round two

The four projects funded in the second round of awards were announced in November 2018.

Rethinking ‘impossible’: creating a platform for developing novel vaccines against animal trypanosomiasis in Brazil

The blood parasite Trypanosoma vivax causes the disease Animal African Trypanosomiasis (AAT) in livestock. This pilot project seeks to create the capacity to develop new vaccines against AAT, which will help remove the disease's burden on animal health and economic prosperity.

Towards edible vaccines for chickens

The poultry parasite Eimeria causes mortality and increases susceptibility to other diseases. This project involves testing Eimeria vaccines in the form of caplets that can be mixed into chicken feed to make vaccine administration easier and more cost-effective.

Efficacy testing of novel immersion and oral vaccines for Aeromonas hydrophila in Tilapia and Vietnamese catfish

Disease outbreaks caused by Aeromonas hydrophila have a major economic impact, and current vaccines, where available, can be ineffective and costly. This project, involving scientists from Vietnam, Egypt and the UK, will test the ability of new vaccines to prevent disease outbreaks and reduce antibiotic use in aquaculture.

New antigen identification in the African swine fever virus genome thorough a plasmid DNA library

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating pig disease with no current vaccine or treatment. This project will compare antibody recognition in domesticated and wild pigs, which will inform the future development of vaccines against ASF virus.

Projects funded in round three

The third round of projects awarded pump-priming funding were announced in October 2019.

Construction of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus-specific phage-display libraries and epitope identification for improved FMD vaccines generation

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most economically important livestock diseases in large parts of Africa, Asia and South America. The virus that causes it has a high mutation rate, making it difficult to vaccinate against new variants. This project aims to identify critical FMD virus antigens that can be used to produce improved vaccines.

Isolation and purification of Nairobi sheep disease virus for development of a thermostable vaccine

Nairobi sheep disease virus (NSDV) kills up to 90% of the sheep and goats it affects and is widespread in eastern Africa and the Indian subcontinent. This project aims to develop and test an inactivated virus vaccine to contribute towards the control and eradication of NSDV.

Immunisation of tilapia broodstock as a strategy to prevent vertical transmission of tilapia lake virus (TiLV)

Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) is an emerging disease problem in tilapia, the second most predominant aquaculture species after carp. This project will look at the feasibility of vaccinating tilapia broodstock and test whether they are able to pass specific antibodies to their embryos.

Projects funded in round four

The fourth round of projects awarded pump-priming funding were announced in April 2020.

Identification of virulence factors as novel vaccine targets for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia by whole genome saturated mutagenesis

CBPP is one of the most infectious and highly contagious diseases of cattle in Africa. Current control relies on a live vaccine of limited efficacy and occasional severe side effects. This project aims to identify vaccine candidates using a random mutant library to identify bacterial genes important in the initial bacteria-host cell encounters.

Discovery of T cell epitopes of the intracellular parasite Babesia bovis using immunoproteomic and immunoinformatic strategies

The tick-borne pathogen Babesia bovis causes acute disease in tropical and subtropical bovines. Current control methods include live vaccines which, although effective, have undesirable characteristics. This project aims to identify key proteins involved in the bovine immune response to Babesia, which will lead to novel candidates for a new generation of babesiosis vaccines.

Immunogenicity study of matrix 2 ectodomain proteins displayed on nodavirus-like particles as a universal avian influenza virus vaccine for chickens

Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus is highly contagious among birds and causes serious outbreaks. Commercially available vaccines are strain-specific and require reconstitution to accommodate new strains. Our research team has shown a promising protective efficacy of nodavirus-like particles, which may confer universal protection against avian influenza viruses in chickens.

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