ARS | Publication request: U. S. VETERINARY IMMUNE REAGENTS NETWORK: PROGRESS WITH POULTRY IMMUNE REAGENTS

Submitted to: Avian Immunology Group Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: May 16, 2008
Publication Date: June 15, 2008
Citation: Lillehoj, H.S., Hong, Y.H. 2008. U. s. veterinary immune reagents network: progress with poultry immune reagents. Proceedings of Avian Immunology Research Group meeting, June 24-27. Brishane, Australia.

Technical Abstract: This poster will present a progress report on the CSREES-funded NRI grant to support a broad community approach to systematically address the immunological reagent gap for the US veterinary immunology research community including for the following groups: ruminants (concentrating on cattle but including sheep), swine, poultry (primarily chickens with some evaluation of turkey), horses and aquaculture species (concentrating on channel catfish and trout) with a goal of at least 20 reagents per species group. Reagents will include bioactive recombinant cytokines and chemokine proteins, expressed using mammalian, yeast, and bacterial systems, as well as antibodies (monoclonal and polyclonal) to them and their receptors as well as antibodies to immunoglobulin isotypes, T cell receptors and other CD molecules. The goal is to produce antibodies that function in ELISA and ELISpot assays, for intracellular staining, for blocking function and signaling, and that are useful in flow cytometric applications as well as in fixed tissue sections. Antibodies to bioactive molecules will also be tested for their ability to block the recombinant molecules as well as natural molecules if it is possible to produce cell culture systems for the later. Products developed in this proposal will benefit a large group of researchers including veterinary immunologists, pathologists and microbiologists. This project was approved for funding by USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program in January 2006.