Innate immune research project gets underway in the UK

The �330,000 research programme, which is being co-funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs through the Sustainable Livestock Production LINK programme, is the first project of its kind to be conducted in the UK.

Due to commence in early 2006, the research is expected to take 3 years, during which time scientists hope to identify genetic 'markers' responsible for controlling variation in innate immune responses that could be incorporated into a selective breeding programme. In particular, determining the extent that genetic variability influences a chicken's innate immune response and improving its innate resistance to enteric diseases and food- borne pathogens will be one of the primary research objectives. There is known genetic variation in resistance to both Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry and new knowledge on innate immune function means that the opportunity exists to identify genetic markers that could be used to screen for chickens with the capacity to resist infection.

The research findings could prove significant in creating sustainable long term benefits for the UK poultry industry, as project leader Dr Pete Kaiser, Principal Research Scientist at the Institute for Animal Health, explains.

"Changes to poultry growing practices, such as moves to more extensive rearing systems and the withdrawal of certain drugs and antibiotics, are altering the balance of challenges on poultry health. It is important that poultry breeders are able to deliver stock improvement when birds are reared in such environments. Improving the selection parameters for increased innate immune fitness or robustness is therefore one of the key benefits we expect to be able to deliver from this research programme. The resulting obvious benefits in terms of improved nutrient capture and food safety will undoubtedly contribute to improving the sustainability of the industry."