The University of Florida received a three-year, $635,000 Project Grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grants program. The grant will fund research to develop significantly improved genetically engineered Salmonella vaccine vectors that synthesize and deliver multiple protective antigens from Eimeria maxima and E. tenella parasites. This aims to induce protective immunity against coccidiosis in broiler chickens. The genetically modified Salmonella vectors have been designed to eliminate factors that inhibit immune responses and biofilm formation, while adding improved mechanisms for regulated delayed attenuation, regulated delayed antigen synthesis and regulated delayed lysis in vivo. The timing of these events has been programmed to maximize the vectors' ability to colonize lymphoid tissues and produce/deliver protective antigens before lysis, precluding environmental persistence or viability if shed. The research intends to evaluate these protective immunity enhanced Salmonella vaccine constructs for inducing protection against coccidiosis challenges and other Eimeria species, as well as reducing Salmonella colonization in poultry linked to human foodborne illness. A secondary objective is reducing antimicrobial use in poultry production to curb drug-resistant microorganism selection pressures.
Mod # | Description | Reason For Modification | Federal Obligation (Click to sort descending) | Date (Click to sort ascending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $635.0k | 4/14/23 |
Grant Number | Description | Subgrantee | Prime Award | Dollars Obligated (Click to sort descending) | Updated At (Click to sort ascending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SUB00003771S | Agricultural Research Service | Project Grant 20236701539654 | $44.9k | 1/16/24 |