Objective:
1. Develop novel approaches to inducing mucosal immune responses to FMDV vaccines with the capacity to cross-neutralize a broader array of virus sub-types. 1.A. Evaluate the efficacy of mucosal adjuvants, delivered via the replication-defective human adenovirus 5 (hAd5) vector system along with the hAd5-FMD vaccine, for augmenting immunity and protection following intranasal administration to swine. 1.B. Assess the cross-neutralization and cross-protection afforded by capsid-based vaccines engineered with chimeric VP1 G-H loops bearing immunogenic or toleragenic epitopes to broaden the specificity of the vaccine. 2. Determination of classical swine fever virus genetic determinants of virulence, immunogenicity and antigenicity. 2.A. Evaluate immunogenicity and protective efficacy of genetically modified CSFV glycoproteins. 2.B. Evaluate the role of non-structural proteins in CSFV virulence. 3. Develop and validate grating coupled surface Plasmon resonance imaging multiplexed microarray biosensor platform for the rapid detection of FMDV and CSFV, and the characterization of host responses to each pathogen.

Approach:
1. Evaluation of mucosal adjuvants efficacy delivered through the ad5 platform, to induce mucosal immune responses to FMDV. Evaluate in vivo mucosal adjuvants alone or in combination with FMDV vaccine for induction of rapid protection in swine. Determine cross-neutralization and cross-protection provided by capsid-based vaccines engineered with chimeric VP1 G-H loops containing immunogenic or toleragenic epitopes. An epitope map will be created using anti-sera from murine bearing cross-reactive immune responses between FMDV types O and SAT3. Testing chimeric GH loop bearing hAd5 vectors in swine will be conducted to assess cross-neutralization. Challenge studies will be performed utilizing homo-typic and heterotypic virus. 2. Evaluate the role of non-structural proteins in CSFV virulence and protection against infection will be performed through; complete cloning of CSFV structural proteins into Baculovirus transfer vectors, completing the production of recombinant Baculovirus expressing parental CSFV structural proteins and of autonomous replication CSFV defective genomes, and by completing the immunogenicity studies in naïve swine with sera from infected swine. 3. Development and validation of the GCSPRI device will be done to use as rapid detection of FMDV and CSFV. Identify diagnostic reagents and develop host immune response characterization. Assay conditions and sensor chip configurations will be optimized to capture host leukocyte populations. In vivo virus detection will be tested through immune response by GCSPRI and by traditional bioassay.