Objective
The objective are:
- to develop a new type of vaccine for African horsesickness (AHS) disease;
- to develop a diagnostic reagent to differentiate between vaccinated and infected animals.
Specific objectives are:
- To express 2 or 4 capsid proteins of AHSV-4 using available cDNA clones and baculovirus vectors and synthesize empty virus-like particles (VLPs).
- To evaluate the immunological properties of VLPs in model animals (e.g. mice).
- To characterize humoral and cell-mediated immunity elicited by VLPs.
- To evaluate protective efficiency of VLPs in natural vertebrate hosts (e.g. horse).
- To synthesize a non-structural viral-coded AHSV NS1 protein (ie a non-capsid protein) using a baculovirus vector and to caharacterise the expressed protein immunogically and biochemically.
- To purify the expressed protein and use the protein to distinguish between vaccinated and naturally-infected animals.
- To generate cDNA clones of other AHSV serotypes that are needed to synthesize VLPs for other serotypes.
Fields of science
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
OX1 3QU Oxford
United Kingdom