£6m project is on a mission to develop novel sheep vaccine
18th August 2023
With resistance to worm treatments severely undermining control programmes, scientists are seeking a solution in the form of an on-farm vaccine.
The Moredun Research Institute is leading an international partnership to develop a vaccine for on-farm worm control – alongside the University of Glasgow, the University of New England, Australia and the James Hutton Institute.
Gastrointestinal nematodes are estimated to cost around £4/lamb in the UK through reduced weight gain and treatment costs.
Impacts on productivity also mean higher greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.
While chemical treatments are the mainstay of parasite control programmes for nematode infections, resistance severely undermines control options in many parts of the world.
Much progress is being made in this area, but the development on a commercial worm vaccine is a long-term project.
Dr Alasdair Nisbet, project lead from Moredun Research Institute, said: “We are delighted to be able to lead this international team to develop our nematode vaccine technology further and push towards a commercial product to help control this major issue in the sheep industry in the UK and beyond.”
This project is co-funded by each of the partners with matched funding from the Australian Federal Government through the Meat & Livestock Australia Donor Company to a total value of just over £6m (AU$ 11m) over 5 years.
